THE CONTINENTS j 

AND j 

THEIR PEOPLE 



A S I A 

CHAMBERLAIN 














- 




, i ■ Vf ' ■ ■ H 

! 

. ' *4 













•l/j 













* a tsy'M- 






Copyright N? 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


















**'• U. 





























r 




































■y.-A 




i •< r . • j* . . w L. 



THE CONTINENTS AND THEIR PEOPLE 


ASIA 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO 
DALLAS • SAN FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN & CO., Limited 

LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. 

TORONTO 


\ 












THE QONTINENTS AND THEIR PEOPLE 


ASIA 

A SUPPLEMENTARY GEOGRAPHY 

BY 

JAMES FRANKLIN CHAMBERLAIN. ED.B., S.B. 

•1 

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY, STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, LOS 
ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; AUTHOR OF HOME AND WORLD 
SERIES OF GEOGRAPHICAL READERS 

AND 

ARTHUR HENRY CHAMBERLAIN, B.S., A.M. 

FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION, THROOP POLY¬ 
TECHNIC INSTITUTE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 
AUTHOR OF “STANDARDS IN EDUCATION,” ETC. 

EDITOR SIERRA EDUCATIONAL NEWS 


> 


1 o 

) > s> 




) 

5 


Nefo lark 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

1913 


All rights reserved 



6 

^ <■ 

O' 


Copyright, 19X3, 

By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. 


Set up and electrotyped. Published, February, 19x3. 



0 

O 


Ncrbiooft 

J. S. Cushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. 
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 


©CI.A343259 



PREFACE 


Asia, the largest of the continents, is a part of what 
we call the “Old World.” While the people of Europe 
were yet barbarians, there were nations in Asia that 
had developed a high degree of civilization. To-day 
the civilization of Asia is far behind that of the con¬ 
tinent from which the great-grandfathers and great¬ 
grandmothers of most of us came — Europe. Nations 
that were once prominent have passed away, and the 
ruins of great cities lie buried beneath drifting sands. 

Asia is a continent of extremes. It has large coun¬ 
tries, lofty mountains, extensive plateaus, vast plains, 
immense deserts, dense forests, and mighty rivers. 
It has areas of eternal snow, and stretches where 
perpetual summer reigns. Portions of the continent 
are very densely populated, and other portions are 
practically uninhabited. 

Both in a geographical and in an historical sense, 
Asia and Europe are closely united. The study of 
the geography of Asia should, therefore, fbllow that 
of Europe. In the case of no other continent can we 
see more clearly the relations between geography and 
history. With the study of North America and Eu- 


VI 


PREFACE 


rope as a background, the pupils can work out some¬ 
what fully many of these relationships. 

The pupils’ knowledge of both history and geog¬ 
raphy will be greatly increased by tracing the early 
routes of discovery and trade between Europe and 
Asia. Brief reference to ancient Nineveh and Babylon; 
to the pilgrimages of the Crusaders to the Holy Land; 
to the Trojan wars; to the search for far Cathay; 
to the journeys of Marco Polo — these and other 
topics will add interest and profit to the study of the 
geography of Asia. 

For the use of photographs the authors are under 
great obligation to Mr. George Howell, Mr. William 
G. Hoag, Mr. C. H. Hamilton, Professor S. Webster 
French, and Mr. Walter L. Richardson, all of Pasadena, 
and Mr. E. A. Magie of Chicago. 


Pasadena, California. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I. 

The Continent of Asia 






PAGE 

1 

II. 

Turkey 






11 

III. 

The Holy Land . 






24 

IV. 

Arabia .... 

o 





46 

V. 

Persia .... 






56 

VI. 

Afghanistan 






63 

VII. 

India 






67 

VIII. 

Some Indian Cities . 






80 

IX. 

Ceylon .... 






91 

X. 

Siam .... 






100 

XI. 

French Indo China . 






107 

XII. 

The Republic of China 






111 

XIII. 

Chinese Tea Gardens 






130 

XIV. 

Some Chinese Cities . 






136 

XV. 

Daily Life in China 






147 

XVI. 

The Land of the Rising 

Sun 





155 

XVII. 

Daily Life in Japan 






171 

XVIII. 

Korea .... 






184 

XIX. 

Siberia .... 

, , 





190 


vii 










COLOR MAPS 


FIGURE PAGE 

1. Asia, Political Map .... between 2 and 3 

2. Asia, Physical Map . . . . . between 4 and 5 

10. Holy Land. facing 24 









































































































































































































ASIA 


CHAPTER I 

THE CONTINENT OF ASIA 

Nearly all of the people of Europe belong to the 
white or Caucasian race. As North America was 
colonized by people from Europe, most of the in¬ 
habitants of our continent belong to the white race. 
Although there are many representatives of the 
Caucasian race in Asia, there are many millions of 
people who belong to the yellow or Mongolian race. 
In race, history, language, and customs we differ in 
many ways from most of the inhabitants of Asia. 

Although Asia is generally studied as a separate 
continent, Europe and Asia really constitute one great 
land mass to which the name Eurasia is given. In a 
general way the boundary between Europe and Asia 
follows the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian 
Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea. 
By means of a map, trace the boundary more defi¬ 
nitely. Bering Strait, only about fifty miles wide, 
separates Asia from North America. Asia and Africa, 

B 1 


2 


ASIA 


joined naturally by the Isthmus of Suez,. are now 
slightly separated by the Suez Canal. 

Asia is the largest of the continents. In fact, its 
area is nearly one third that of the land surface of the 
globe. It is about four and one half times as large 
as Europe. From east to west Asia extends one 
third of the distance around the world on the sixtieth 
parallel of north latitude. On the north the coast 
line reaches far beyond the' Arctic Circle, while the 
most southern point of the continent nearly touches 
the equator. Because Asia is situated in three zones, 
it has torrid, temperate, and frigid climates in its 
different parts. 

The coast line of the continent, like that of Europe, 
is very extensive. Stretching southward from Asia 
are the largest three peninsulas in the world. Point 
to these and name them. There are also large pro¬ 
jections and indentations on the eastern coast. Al¬ 
though the extent of coast line on the north is very 
great, the bays and rivers are blocked by ice for so 
many months every year that the harbors are of little 
value. Because of this, Asia has no large cities on 
the Arctic coast. 

Most of the northern part of Asia is a vast plain 
sloping toward the north. This is Asiatic Russia, 
or Siberia. The extreme northern part of this plain 
is a dreary, frozen waste called the tundra. Neither 





$dess, 


J'\s> Rus ? ia h M 

r^-r/X r ?/>. ) 


lat® 


^askat 


ut f of Aden 


Scale of Miles 


rar «<*fuf 


laccac ive 

IS LAN 3>S 


__Tokyo 

..Bombay 

,__Ningpo 

_Lahore 

COLOMEO 


Cities with over 1,000,000- 

Cities with 500,000 to 1,000,000. 
Cities with 200,000 to 500,000-. 

Smaller Places _ 

Capitals with less than 200,000 

Capitals ® 

Railroads 


maldive 

.ISLANDS 


Other Cities o 










































ISLANDS, 


ARCTIC \ 

<_Cower 


•Krasnov 


Tomsk] 


lemipalatinsk* 


j’i^ckohama 

fSoya, . 


/ SUNGARI A 


STAN 

l<^ 


r 

Iff C^^rt'O 0 




LOWtt 

BURMi 

Rang 1 


^agpur 


l G A 1*1 

ANDAMAN.fi 
islands o 


Madras 


NICOBAR*' 
ISLANDS « 


CEYLON 


)MBO 


EN&JMVING CO., N.Y. 


Greenwich 100 







































































THE CONTINENT OF ASIA 


3 


farms nor forests are found here. During the short 
summers, mosses and other low forms of vegetation 
spring up here, and birds lay their eggs, and raise 
their young. 

One might travel for hundreds of miles in this region 
and see no human beings but the Eskimos. In the 
long, dark winter these hardy people live in houses 
made of blocks of snow and ice, to which they give 
the name of igloo. During this season of the year they 
travel by means of sledges drawn by dogs. In the 
summer they journey from place to place in skin boats 
called kayaks and umiaks. 

As we travel southward from the desolate tundra, 
trees gradually appear. At first they are few and 
small, because the extreme cold is not favorable to 
their growth. Finally we enter a vast forest that 
stretches practically across the continent from east 
to west. Owing to the sparse population, and 
- lack of roads, much of this great forest is to-day 
untouched. 

South of the forest belt is a fertile farming country. 
Wheat, rye, oats, barley, potatoes, and flax are impor¬ 
tant crops in the cooler parts, while corn and cotton 
are grown in the warmer regions. Much of the farm¬ 
ing is carried on in a primitive way. 

The steppe country lies south of the agricultural 
belt. This section does not receive very much rain, 


4 


ASIA 


and is therefore better adapted to grazing than to 
agriculture. To what part of the United States does 
it correspond ? 

In addition to this vast northward sloping plain, 
Asia has extensive plains in India and China, and 
smaller ones in other parts of the continent. The 
plains, having a fertile soil, and for the most part 
plenty of rain and a hot or temperate climate, are 
densely populated. 

In the central and southern part of the continent 
are extensive plateaus and lofty mountain ranges, 
some of which are always snow covered. The Pamir, 
which, because of its height, has long been known as 
the “Roof of the World,” is a center from which radiate 
the Himalaya, Karakoram, Kuenlun, Thian Shan, 
and Hindu Kush mountains. These lofty moun¬ 
tains, whose passes are occupied by snow fields and 
glaciers, are a great hindrance to travel and trade. 

Although Asia has the highest mountains in the 
world, there is some land on the continent that is 
below sea level. This is true of a considerable area 
around the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. The 
streams that drain this part of Asia do not reach the 
ocean, but empty into the Caspian, the Aral, and other 
inclosed bodies of water. On this account these 
areas are said to have continental drainage. What 
part of the United States has continental drainage? 






60 c Longitude East 


PHYSICAL 31AP OF 


ASIA 


Scale of Miles 




200 400 COO 800 1000 1200 


Sea Level 


Over 6,500 ft. 

From. 1,050 to 6,500 ft. 
From C50 to 1,050 ft. 
From 0 to 650 ft. 

From 0 to 6,500 ft. 
From 6,500 to 13,000 ft» 
Below 13,000 ft. 


] 


































C.Oeshne, 


fhelyuskh 


taivyi 


FrJ&ecxu of 

<# ~— 

ooKobao 


PLATEAU 


1NDO-CPW 

pen\ns| 


ANDAMAN 

IS. I 


Qulf of 

Siam 


[NICOBAR, 

IS. 


INSULA 


williams ENGRAVING I CO., Nr. 


Greenwich 






























































































4 









THE CONTINENT OF ASIA 


5 


The Caspian is much the largest inclosed sea in 
the world, being about five times as large as Lake 
Superior. As this sea has no outlet, its waters are, 
of course, salt. Much fishing is carried on in the Cas¬ 
pian, and vessels enter and leave the sea by way of 
the Volga River. Near the mouth of this river is 
Astrakan, an important port, and farther south is 
Baku, from which much petroleum is exported. Lake 
Aral is nearly as large as Lake Superior, but it is quite 
shallow, and very briney. The water contains so 
much salt that there is no life found in it. 

While there are many great rivers in Asia, there 
are few that are commercially important. Three 
very long rivers drain a large part of the Siberian 
plain. These are the Ob, the Yenisei (yen i se' i), and 
the Lena. As you have been told, these and the 
smaller streams that flow into the Arctic are ice¬ 
bound for several months each year, and therefore 
are used but little by vessels. The Amur and the 
Yangtse carry considerable commerce, but the Hoang 
Ho is shallow, and its channel is constantly shifting. 
Of the great rivers of India, the Ganges is the only 
one that is navigable to any considerable extent. 
The map shows you that neither Arabia nor Persia 
has a single large river. 

Because Asia includes such a great range in latitude, 
altitude, and distance from the sea, all of the climates 


6 


ASIA 


of the globe are represented in this continent. Near 
the town of Verkhoyansk (Verkhoyansk') the low¬ 
est known temperature in the northern hemisphere 
(- 92° F.) has been recorded. This spot is, therefore, 
known as the cold pole. With the exception of a thin 
surface layer, the ground in this part of the continent 
is frozen to a depth of many, many feet in the summer 
as well as in the winter. 

Farther south the summers are longer, and the winters 
are less severe, although in the interior there are great 
seasonal extremes in temperature, partly because of the 
long distance from the ocean. The rainfall is scanty 
in much of the central part of Asia because the surround¬ 
ing mountains deprive the winds of their moisture be¬ 
fore they reach the region. Here, then, we find large 
desert areas such as Gobi (go'be). Some of the des¬ 
erts, being high, are cold and consequently have a 
sparse population. 

On the lowlands of India and Indo-China there is 
perpetual summer. Where the rainfall is abundant 
there are extensive forests where the lion, tiger, elephant, 
and many other animals make their homes. On the 
warm lowlands rice, cotton, sugar, and fruits are pro¬ 
duced. On the fertile plains the population is dense, 
for food is easily secured, little clothing is required, 
and very simple houses satisfy the natives. In such 
a hot and moist climate people are not very energetic. 


THE CONTINENT OF ASIA 


7 


# 





rntr 


'Mr' 




mm 


i£' I! 1 

\LI) 






• l-H 

73 

C4-( 

o 

& 

§ 


c3 


C3 

« 


CO 

5 

HH 


























































































































































































































































































































































8 


ASIA 


Of the total population of the globe more than one 
half is found in Asia, but there are large areas where 
the population is very sparse because of desert or 
mountainous conditions. Where the climate is warm, 
and the soil fertile, hundreds of people live upon each 
square mile of surface. Because of the crowded con¬ 
dition there are many poor and uneducated people. 
When the crops are small, famine usually occurs in 
such areas. 

The civilization of Asia is very old. There are 
written records that cover several thousand years. In 
some of the countries the customs of the people have 
remained practically the same for hundreds of years. 
Railroads, the telegraph, the telephone, electric light, 
machinery, and many other things with which we are 
familiar are still unknown to millions of people in Asia. 

In most parts of Asia women are not regarded as 
highly as they are in our country. Because of this, 
much less attention is given to the education of girls 
than to that of boys. In the United States the people 
make the laws, but in some Asiatic countries the people 
have little voice in the government. Although Chris¬ 
tianity originated in Asia, there are many millions of 
people there who are Buddhists, Bramins, or Moham¬ 
medans. - 

As a result of the dense population wages are low. 
Many heads of families do not receive more than ten 


THE CONTINENT OF ASIA 9 

cents for a day’s work. This means that there is much 
poverty. Mining is not carried on extensively, and 
there is little attention paid to the development of 
water and electric power. In many parts of the con¬ 
tinent roads are few and poor, and in some sections 
they are unknown. These are some of the reasons why 
manufacturing and commerce have not been developed 
in Asia as they have in the United States and Europe. 

Until recent years some of the natives of Asia would 
not permit the people of other countries to trade with 
them. They wished to live in their own way, undis¬ 
turbed by others. In 1868 Japan opened her land to 
the people of all nations, and since that time she has 
made wonderful progress. She has learned many 
things from the people of other lands, and the people 
of other nations have learned much from her. At last 
the form of government that has existed for so many 
centuries in China has been overthrown, and perhaps 
very rapid advancement is to come to this nation also. 

The United States now owns the Philippine Islands, 
the home of several million people, and a land that 
produces many of the things that we have to buy. Al¬ 
though Manila is about 7000 miles from San Francisco, 
the trip can be made by steamer in about fifteen days. 
Every year a large number of people from the United 
States visit Japan, China, India, and other parts of 
Asia. A cable now connects our country with Asia 


10 


ASIA 


by way of the Hawaiian Islands. Many Japanese 
people are coming to the United States, some as la¬ 
borers, some as students, and some as visitors. We 
are thus steadily becoming better acquainted with the 
people of Asia, and this means greater friendship be¬ 
tween our own and other nations. 




CHAPTER II 


TURKEY 

Two straits and the Sea of Marmora connect the 
Black Sea with the Mediterranean. One of these 
straits, the Bosphorus, is but two miles in width in its 
widest part, while in its narrowest part the width is only 
one third of a mile. When one is on the west shore of 
this strait he is in Europe, when on the east shore he 
is in Asia. The land on both sides of the strait belongs 
to the same country — Turkey. On this account we 
speak of Turkey in Europe and Turkey in Asia. What 
other country is partly in each of these continents? 

Turkey is a large country, having an area more than 
three times as great as that of France or Germany. Its 
total population is not equal to one half that of the Ger¬ 
man Empire, however. Asiatic Turkey is more than 
ten times as large as European Turkey, and its pop¬ 
ulation is much larger also. 

Before the beginning of the Christian era a Grecian 
city called Byzantium existed on the west side of the 
Bosphorus. Later a Roman Emperor, whose name was 
Constantine, conquered Byzantium, made it the capital 
11 


12 


ASIA 



t 


Fig. 4. A view of Constantinople 

















TURKEY 


13 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 5. Fortress of the Seven Towers, Stamboul. This,picture shows a part of the old wall 











14 


ASIA 


of the Roman Empire, and named it Constantinople. 
Polis means city, so Constantinople means the City of 
Constantine. Hundreds of years later the Turks 
took possession of Constantinople, and made it the 
capital of Turkey. 

To-day Constantinople is one of the large cities of the 
world, having a population of more than 1,000,000. 
It is built upon the slopes of hills that rise from an arm 
of the sea some five miles in length. This indentation, 
which furnishes a deep and well protected harbor, is 
called the Golden Horn. The part of the city situated 
on the south side of the Golden Horn is called by 
Europeans Stamboul. Originally a wall having twenty- 
eight gates surrounded Stamboul. On the north side 
of the Golden Horn is a part of Constantinople called 
Galeta. 

Now look at your map and notice what countries 
border upon the Black Sea. Which is the most im¬ 
portant of these ? How is the position of Constanti¬ 
nople advantageous ? 

Like most very old cities, the Turkish capital has 
many crooked, narrow, and dirty streets. The city has 
also a large number of palaces, mosques, and fine public 
buildings. Until quite recently there were hundreds 
of homeless dogs upon the streets and sidewalks of 
the city. While walking along the streets people were 
frequently obliged to step over sleeping dogs. They 



i 




Fig. 6. Dogs in street in Constantinople 
















16 


ASIA 


became such a nuisance that they were finally abolished 
by the government. 

The people of Turkey drink much coffee, and it is 
the custom for shop keepers to invite their customers to 
drink a cup of this beverage. Many wares are displayed 
upon the streets and sidewalks, under umbrella-like 
awnings, or are hung in front of the shops. Occasion¬ 
ally we see a man standing beside a small table, which 
is about three feet in height, and is supported by a 
tripod. Upon these tables are piled quantities of 
articles somewhat resembling immense doughnuts. 
They are called “simits,” and are a very popular 
article of food, similar to pretzels. 

From Constantinople the shore of Asia is plainly 
visible. Directly across on the east side of the strait, 
is the city of Scutaria. This is really a suburb of 
Constantinople, situated upon the Boyana River about 
sixteen miles from the sea. Some ship building is car¬ 
ried on here, and the city exports wool, hides, and corn. 
Trains are now ferried across the Bosphorus between 
Constantinople and Hadar Pasha. Name a place in 
the United States where trains are ferried. 

As you have been told, Turkey in Asia is a very 
large country. Some of it is rugged, and much of it is 
very dry. There is a scarcity of timber, for the for¬ 
ests have been largely cut, and Turkey pays little heed 
to reforestation. There is little attention given, to 


TUIi KEY 


17 


mining or to. manufacturing. This is, in part, due to 
the poverty of the people. Herding and agriculture 
are the leading occupations. Agriculture is carried 
on in a primitive fashion, very little machinery being 
employed. Much plowing is done by means of oxen 
and buffaloes. 

Southwestern Asia is a peninsula to which the people 
of ancient times gave the name of Asia Minor, meaning 
smaller Asia. It is often called Anatolia, which comes 
from a Greek word meaning east. Mountains extend 
along the shores of the Black and the Mediterranean 
seas, and the whole peninsula is largely a plateau. 
Along the coast the mountains condense considerable 
moisture, but in the interior it is quite dry. As is the 
case in California, winter is the rainy season. 

Asia Minor is a land rich in history. In the western 
part was located the ancient city of Troy, and it was 
here that Achilles, Ulysses, Ajax, Agamemnon, Hector, 
and other heroes performed such valiant deeds in the 
Trojan War. The Meander River winds its way to the 
sea as it did during the days of the Trojans. It is a 
small stream, only about two hundred and thirty miles 
long. v 

Five centuries before the birth of Christ, Asia Minor, 
which was even then an old country, was conquered 
by the Persians. Later it passed into the hands of 
the Greeks, and then into those of the Romans. In all 


18 


ASIA 


parts of the peninsula there are ruins of once great 
cities. Ancient olive trees wave their branches over 
some of these buried cities. The whole country is 
now under the rule of Turkey. 

Olives, grapes, figs, oranges, peaches, apricots, rice, 
cotton, wheat, and barley are grown. In the interior 



Photo by French 

Fig. 7. Camels bringing freight to Smyrna 


little can be grown without irrigation. Herding is a 
leading occupation. There is little manufacturing ex¬ 
cept what is done by hand in the homes of the people. 
The old city of Smyrna is the chief Mediterranean 







TURKEY 


19 


port of Asia Minor. It was founded about three thou¬ 
sand years ago. It is built on the slope of a hill at 
the head of the Gulf of Smyrna. Carpets, silks, figs, 
raisins, and tobacco are the leading exports. 

From Smyrna a railroad leads eastward across a 
plateau. Trebizond is the most important of Asia 
Minor’s Black Sea ports. 

The northern part of the country is known as Ar¬ 
menia. The Armenians are Christians and are quite 
progressive. They have been cruelly persecuted by 
the Turks, who are not Christians. Where Persia, 
Turkey, and Russia meet, stands Mt. Ararat, an extinct 
volcano more than seventeen thousand feet in altitude. 
We read in the Bible that the ark rested “on the moun¬ 
tains of Ararat.” The Armenian name of this old 
mountain means “Mountain of the ark,” while the 
Persians call it “Moab’s Mountain.” 

Just north of the Holy Land is situated the ancient 
city of Damascus. No one knows how old it is. Some 
believe that it was founded by Uz, the great-grandson 
of Noah. Damascus was once a very important city, 
being extensively engaged in manufacturing and in 
commerce. It is not now so importaht along these 
lines, but it is the largest city in Asiatic Turkey to¬ 
day. 

Viewed from a distance, Damascus appears like a 
wonderfully beautiful city. The roofs and domes of 


Photo by Howell 

Fig. 8. Damascus. End of the street called “ Straight” (20) 










TURKEY 


21 


its buildings gleam in the sunshine, and rise above 
the green foliage of orchard and shade trees. When 
we have passed within the partially ruined wall sur¬ 
rounding the city, the beauty vanishes. The houses 



Fig. 9. 


Copyright by Brown Bros. 

A scene in Mesopotamia 


are very plain in their architecture. Some have mud- 
plastered walls. The upper story, in most cases, pro¬ 
jects so far over the narrow and dirty street that a 
person leaning from a second story window can nearly 
shake hands with his neighbor across the way. The 
street called “Straight” is the finest in the city. Of 








00 


ASIA 


course there are some fine houses in Damascus, as 
there are wealthy people here as well as elsewhere, 
but the most imposing buildings are the mosques. 

The southern part of Turkey in Asia is drained by 
the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. For a long dis¬ 
tance these streams flow nearly parallel. They finally 
unite and empty into the Persian Gulf. Tigris is a 
Persian word meaning arrow. The river was given 
this name because in a part of its course it flows very 
swiftly. 

The valley of the Tigris and Euphrates is known as 
Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers. Several 
thousand years ago this country was well watered and 
prosperous, and had large cities. Nineveh and Babylon 
are cities spoken of in the Bible, but they have long 
since passed away. This valley was a part of the an¬ 
cient route of travel between Asia Minor and India. 
Partly because of this, many wars have occurred here. 
It is believed by some that the Garden of Eden was 
located in the fertile valley between the Tigris and the 
Euphrates rivers. 

The Euphrates 

“There on Euphrates, in its ancient course, 

Three beauteous rivers rolled their confluent force, 
******* 
Meeting at once, where high athwart their bed 
Repulsive rocks a curving barrier spread, 


TURKEY 


23 


The embattled floods, by mutual whirlpools crossed, 

In hoary foam and surging mist were lost; 

Thence, like an Alpine cataract of snow, 

White down the precipice they dashed below; 

Thence in tumultuous billows broken wide, 

They spent their rage, and yoked their fourfold tide; 
Through one majestic channel, calm and free, 

The sister rivers sought the parent sea.” 

— James Montgomery. 

The government of Turkey has not been favorable 
to progress. The ruler, who is called the Sultan, had, 
until 1908, unlimited power, and often it was used very 
cruelly. In that year there was an uprising, and the 
Sultan was compelled to give up much of his authority. 
This caused great rejoicing. The people now have 
much greater religious as well as civil liberty. 





THE HOLY LAND 


25 



Fig. 11 . A shepherd and his flock near the Dead Sea 













26 


ASIA 


either side of the river because traveling is easier on 
the flat land than on the hilly land. 

The Dead Sea has no outlet, and as the climate is 
very dry, the water is intensely salt. A given volume 
contains about eight times as much salt as is found in 
ocean water. Its waters contain no life, and it is this 
fact that gives the sea its name. The surface of the 
Dead Sea is about one thousand three hundred feet 
below the level of the Mediterranean, and, in the deep¬ 
est part, the sea is about as many feet in depth. It 
is not a very large body of water, being about forty 
miles in length and ten miles in width. 

On the east and west shores of the Dead Sea there are 
many very high cliffs. There is little vegetation, except 
in some of the ravines on the east side, where oleander 
trees grow. All objects upon which the spray falls 
become coated with salt, and therefore the shores 
present a desolate appearance. 

Let us visit the homes of some of the common people. 
We will go to a town or village because in Palestine even 
farmers live in villages for protection. Around the 
town, a wall has been built and people enter and leave 
the town by means of one or more gates. At sunset 
these gates are closed. How peculiar this custom seems 
to us ! 

On the lowlands, where both timber and stone are 
scarce, the houses are commonly built of mud, while 


THE HOLY LAND 


27 



Fig. 12. A native house in Bethlehem 





28 


ASIA 


in the hilly districts stone is used. A house in the Holy 
Land usually consists of but one room. There are 
no beds, tables, chairs, or stoves. The bedding is kept 
in a niche in one wall during the day, and at night it is 
spread upon the floor, or perhaps upon the roof. There 
are mats upon which the people sit, and we see a few 
cooking utensils and some jars for water, honey, and 
oil. 

The houses are very gloomy, for they are usually 
without windows. We observe that when windows 
do exist they are placed high in the walls. This is to 
prevent robbers from getting into the houses, or from 
shooting into them through the windows. As a further 
means of protection, the walls are thick and the doors 
are very strong. 

You would not care to live in such cheerless houses 
as these. Even their owners do not spend a great deal 
of time in them. They live out of doors much of the 
time, for the climate is mild. The roof is a favorite 
gathering place, because it is cool, and during the dry 
season it is quite a common custom to sleep there. 
You are wondering how this is possible. The picture 
shows you that the roof is usually flat. The wooden 
beams and poles that are laid across the walls are covered 
with mud. Before the rainy season is over, weeds and 
grass are growing on the roof, and it is not an uncommon 
thing to see goats calmly feeding there. 


THE HOLY LAND 


29 



Fig. 13. Elisha’s fountain 





30 


ASIA 


In Palestine there is little rain, and water is highly 
prized. Many of the houses have cisterns into which 
runs the water that falls upon the roof during the rainy 
season, and in which it is stored for use. Some families 
have wells, and such people are considered very fortu¬ 
nate. In order to guard the water during the long, dry 
summer, the man of the house often sleeps upon the 
cover of the well or cistern. 

In the Holy Land, as in many other parts of Asia, 
the women do much of the work. The grinding of 
wheat is a task that the women of the household have 
to perform daily. How singular it would seem to us 
to make the flour in our homes instead of buying it 
in sacks or barrels ! 

A family flour mill in the Holy Land consists of two 
circular stones about eighteen inches in diameter. A 
small iron rod passes through the center of the two 
stones, and by means of a handle fastened to the upper 
stone it is turned upon the lower one. In grinding, 
the woman sits upon the floor with a basket of wheat 
beside her. The kernels of wheat are dropped into the 
hole through which the iron rod extends. Sometimes 
the mill rests upon an earthenware jar into which the 
flour falls, and sometimes the flour is collected upon a 
cloth that has been spread underneath the mill. These 
mills are just like those that are spoken of in the Bible. 

Now let us see how the bread is . baked. The oven, 


THE HOLY LAND 


31 


which is made of clay and is perhaps three feet in di¬ 
ameter, stands in a little hut built for this purpose. 
Several families frequently own an oven in common. A 
fire is made on the mud floor outside of the oven, and 
the coals are heaped up around it. The dough in the 
form of flat cakes is placed upon the floor of the oven, 
and the opening at the top is covered to keep in the 
heat. The people do not cut their bread when serv¬ 
ing it, but break it with their hands. 

Breakfast and the midday meal usually consist 
of fruits and bread. In the evening a hot meal is 
cooked. This consists of bread, rice, vegetables, and 
sometimes meat. When a meal is served, the members 
of the family gather about one or more large dishes 
in which the food has been placed. They sit upon 
mats instead of chairs. 

After the meal, a servant or some member of the 
family pours water over the hands of each of the others, 
and a towel is passed around. Coffee is then served, 
and the men light their pipes. When a cup of coffee 
is presented to a guest, the one presenting it says, 
“Do me the honor.” The guest replies, “May you 
live long.” 

Have you ever seen churning done? In Palestine 
it is done in a very strange way. The cream is put 
into a goatskin bag which is suspended from a 
tripod. Women sit upon the ground on either 


32 


ASIA 



Fig. 14. Peasant women of the Holy Land carrying water in jars 















THE HOLY LAND 


33 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 15. Girl carrying brush for fuel 
D 




34 


ASIA 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 16 . Arab peasants in Jerusalem 





THE HOLY LAND 


35 


side of the churn and push it back and forth until 
the butter is produced. 

In addition to the housework, the women do much 
work out of doors. Where the water is obtained from 
a spring or well, they carry it in earthen jars balanced 
upon their heads, or in skins slung over their shoulders. 
Fuel is scarce in that dry land, and women may often 
be seen carrying large bundles of brush upon their 
heads, or driving donkeys loaded with faggots. 

The people in Palestine dress very differently from 
people in our own country or in Europe. The outer 
garment of the men is generally a loose robe some¬ 
thing like a dressing gown. This reaches nearly to 
the ground, and is gathered at the waist by a cord. 
Often loose trousers of white are worn. These are 
fastened at the ankles. Sometimes the feet are bare, 
often slipper-like shoes are worn, and for rough work 
heavy boots are used. Usually the men’s shoes are 
red and the shoes of the women, lemon-colored. Very 
frequently a turban is worn upon the head. When 
a man enters a house, he removes his boots or shoes. 

When a man salutes you, he will say, if he is a Moslem, 
“Peace be upon you,” and the proper reply is, “And 
on you be peace.” A Christian will say, “God be with 
you,” to which one should reply, “And may God pre¬ 
serve thee.” Children and even men usually kiss 
the hand of their father when meeting him after an 


36 


ASIA 



absence of several days. Wives salute their husbands 
in the same way. If one enters a house while a meal 
is in progress, he is not expected to salute those pres¬ 
ent until they have finished eating. 

Many of the villages are without hotels. What 


Photo by French 

Fig. 17. Children in the Holy Land 

is known as a guest room takes the place of a hotel. 
This is a building consisting of a single room, which is 
set apart for the use of travelers who have no friends 
in the village. The visitor is taken to this room and 
his meals are brought to him. It is not expected 




THE HOLY LAND 


37 



that the entertainment thus provided is to be paid 
for. In the evening the men will drop in to hear 
the news that the traveler may have, and to smoke 
their pipes. 

As we travel along the roads we see the people plant- 


Photo by French 

Fig. 18. Threshing grain 

ing, cultivating, or harvesting their crops. As winter 
is the rainy season, it is the time of planting. You 
have never seen such plows as are used by the farmers 
in the Holy Land. They are of. wood, iron pointed. 
It may be that the team is a yoke of oxen. It may 
consist of an ox and a donkey, or even of an ox and 









38 


ASIA 


a camel. The grain is sown by hand, and is cut 
by means of a sickle or scythe. How do you think 
the grain is threshed ? It is placed upon a level piece 



Photo by Howei 

Fig. 19. Damascus Gate, Jerusalem 


of hard ground or upon a floor of stone, called the 
threshing floor. Cattle and donkeys are then driven 
about over the grain, and in this way the kernels are 
trampled out. Sometimes animals are hitched to a 





THE HOLY LAND 


39 


kind of platform having discs of iron projecting from 
the bottom. This implement somewhat resembles a 
pulverizer. The teeth break the straw and do the 
threshing more quickly than it is done by the animals. 
After threshing, the straw is removed and the grain 
gathered up. The chief crops are wheat, barley, figs, 
grapes, olives, oranges, and lemons. 

About fifteen miles due west of the north end of the 
Dead Sea is Jerusalem. It is situated upon a hill 
having a steep slope on all sides except the north. 
At the south end of the hill Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah 
are located. A wall thirty-eight feet high and two 
and one half miles in circumference surrounds this 
ancient city. The city is divided into four sections, 
one for the Jews, one for the Moslems, one for the 
Armenians, and one for the other Christians. 

We enter this city, of which we have heard so much, 
by means of the Joppa Gate. Just outside the gate 
is a market place where camels, donkeys, pottery, 
groceries, fruits, and many other things are sold. Public 
letter writers and money changers are plying their 
trades, and girls are selling lemonade. Here may 
be seen caravans starting out on a journey or return¬ 
ing from one. 

The streets of Jerusalem are narrow, crooked, and 
dirty, and some of them are quite steep. Many of the 
shops are open to the street, and we can see the men 


40 


ASIA 



Ficj. 20. Market place in Jerusalem 











THE HOLY LAND 


41 



Fig. 21. A view of Jerusalem 






42 


A ST A 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 22. Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem 





THE HOLY LAND 


43 


within making shoes and other articles of clothing, 
pans, pots, and other things. In the city there is a 
substantial railroad station constructed of stone. The 
population of Jerusalem is about sixty thousand. 

To the west of Jerusalem is the Mount of Olives, and 
about five miles to the south is the town of Bethlehem. 
The name means “ House of Bread.” Olive groves 
surround the town. It was to Bethlehem that the 
three wise men journeyed to see the Christ Child 
We see people traveling on camel back to-day just 
as these wise men did so many centuries ago. 

To-day Bethlehem is a small city, with little manu¬ 
facturing or trade. Wine is made, and beads, shells, and 
jewel boxes are sold to tourists. It is its history that 
makes the city important, and every year it is visited 
by people from all parts of the world. 

From Jerusalem a railroad winds its way over the 
mountains and across the coastal plain to Joppa, its 
seaport, about fifty miles away. The city has a very 
poor harbor, but it exports some oranges, olive oil, 
barley, and wool. At Joppa we get aboard a vessel 
and sail southward along the eastern shore of the 
Mediterranean. We shall always remember this won¬ 
derful land, where so much history is centered. Its 
village-crowned hills, its flat-roofed houses, its olive 
groves with their gray-green foliage, the dress, and the 
customs of the people will long remain in our memories. 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 23. Church of the Nativity and entrance to Grotto of the 
Manger, Bethlehem (44) 
















THE HOLY LAND 


45 


' Palestine 

“ Blest land of Judea ! thrice hallowed of song, 

Where the holiest of memories pilgrimlike throng ; 

In the shade of thy palms, by the shores of thy sea, 

On the hills of thy beauty, my heart is with thee. 

“Blue sea of the hills ! in my spirit I hear 
Thy waters Gennesaret, chime on my ear; 

Where the Holy and Just with the people sat down, 

And thy spray on the dust of his sandals was thrown. 

“Lo, Bethlehem’s hill site before me is seen, 

With the mountains around, and the valleys between; 

There rested the shepherds of Judah, and there 
The song of the angels rose sweet on the air. 

“And Bethany’s palm trees in beauty still throw 
Their shadows at noon on the ruins below ; 

But where are the sisters who hastened to greet 
The lowly Redeemer, and sit at his feet ? 

“ And throned on her hills sits Jerusalem yet, 

But with dust on her forehead, and chains on her feet; 

For the crown of her pride to the mocker hath gone, 

And the holy Shechinah is dark where it shone.” 

— Whittier. 


CHAPTER IV 


ARABIA 

At the Strait of Gibraltar Europe and Africa are 
separated by only a few miles of water. A ship enter¬ 
ing this strait can sail eastward some 2000 miles be¬ 
fore reaching the eastern shore of the Mediterranean 
Sea, which is a part of the western coast of Asia. The 
low, flat Isthmus of Suez connects Asia and Africa. 

For many centuries there has been commerce between 
the Mediterranean countries of Europe and Persia, 
India and China. Several routes were followed. One 
crossed the island-dotted Mediterranean to its eastern 
shore. By caravan the journey was continued to 
the Tigris or the Euphrates rivers, and thence to the 
Persian Gulf. From the head of this gulf the vo}^age 
to India was made by water. There were also land 
routes leading from western Europe to far distant 
China, where much raw silk was obtained. For hun¬ 
dreds of years there were no railroads and no wagon 
roads. Horses, donkeys, and camels were used to 
transport the articles of commerce. 

In those days a trip from Europe to China required 
many months. There were rivers, mountains, and 
46 


ARABIA 


47 


deserts to be crossed. Warlike bands of men some¬ 
times attacked the caravans, and carried off the goods. 
Thus these overland journeys were long, tedious, and 
dangerous. If the Mediterranean and the Red Sea 
had been connected by a strait, it would have been 
a much easier matter to carry on commerce between 
the two continents. The Isthmus of Suez blocked 
the way, and people had not yet sailed around Africa. 

Six years after Columbus discovered America, Vasco 
da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, succeeded, after 
many hardships, in reaching India by way of the 
Cape of Good Hope. 

It was not until 1869 that the Suez Canal was opened 
across the Isthmus of Suez. Although there was very 
little rock encountered, the work required about ten 
years. The canal is eighty-seven miles long and 
thirty-one feet deep. As it was dug to the level of 
the sea, no locks are required. Such a canal is called 
a sea-level canal. The cost of the Suez Canal was 
about $100,000,000, and it is one of the great canals 
of the world. 

Our ship enters the canal at Port Said and we slowly 
steam through it, the passage requiring about eighteen 
hours. About 4000 ships pass through the canal 
yearly, and each pays toll amounting to some two 
dollars per ton. As the canal is lighted by electricity, 
ships make the trip by night as well as by day. 


48 


ASIA 



Fig. 24. Ship in Suez Canal 









ARABIA 


49 


At Suez, which is at the southern end of the canal, 
we enter the Red Sea. This body of water is more 
than 1000 miles long, and is very deep. Its shores 
are regular, and therefore there are few good harbors. 
On the right is the continent of Africa, and on our 
left the Arabian peninsula. 

Arabia is a very large country, being sixteen times 
the size of the state of New York, and four times the 
area of the German Empire. In all of this vast coun¬ 
try there are not nearly so many people as live in the 
city of Philadelphia. This is because a large part of 
the land is a desert. Springs and wells are few, vegeta¬ 
tion is scanty, and sand dunes make traveling diffi¬ 
cult. 

Along the shores of the Red Sea there is a rim of 
mountains. These are high enough to chill the at¬ 
mosphere and produce some rain. Little moisture 
falls upon the interior of Arabia, because of the moun¬ 
tain barrier near the coast. On the southwestern 
slope wheat, coffee, dates, and other crops are grown, 
and here are located the chief cities. Because it has 
some rainfall, this part of Arabia has long been known 
as “Happy Arabia.” 

The mountains along the coast, the great sand 
dunes, and the scarcity of food and water, make it 
difficult and dangerous to attempt to reach the interior 
of the country. People generally travel on the backs 


50 


ASIA 


of camels or swift horses. Arabia has long been known 
for its beautiful and fleet horses. Some of the trained 
horses that you have seen at the circus are of Arabian 
stock. The country has but one railroad, and it 
was not constructed for the purpose of transporting 



Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 


Fig. 25. Arab traveling near sand dunes 

commodities, or of developing the country. The road 
extends from Damascus to Mecca, and was built in 
order to carry people to and from Mecca, the holy 
city of the Mohammedans. 

At Jedda we leave our ship and board a train for 
Mecca. The cars are crowded with people, many of 
whom have journeyed from Damascus. A large 
number of pilgrims still travel by camel, although the 




ARABIA 


51 



journey is long and tedious. Women as well as men 
visit the holy city. 

In the city of Mecca, some 1300 years ago, Mo¬ 
hammed, the founder of Mohammedanism, was born. 
This is why the followers of Mohammed regard Mecca 
as holy. Morning, noon, and night, at the hour of 


Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 26. Street view in Port Said 

prayer, all true Mohammedans, no matter where they 
may be, face Mecca and prostrate themselves. 

Mecca is situated in a dry valley, surrounded 1>y 
bare hills and desolate stretches of sand. On a square, 
inclosed by an arcade above which rise cupolas and 
minarets, is the “Holy Mosque .” In the center of 
the court is the Kaaba or cube. This is a structure 





52 


ASIA 


some forty feet in height, to which people are admitted 
by means of a silver door. Near this door is a black 
stone which was venerated even before the birth of 
Mohammed. The people believe that this stone 



Photo by Magie 

Fig. 27. A sprinkling cart in Aden 


was given to Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, by an 
angel. 

Returning to Jedda, we continue our journey along 
the Red Sea. On the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, which 
leads to the Gulf of Aden, is Mocha, a city from which 
some coffee is exported. Aden, on the gulf of the 
same name, was purchased by the English in 1839. 




ARABIA 


53 


Its position is important because it guards the southern 
entrance to the Red Sea. 

Aden has a good harbor. The city climbs from the 
water up the slope of an extinct volcano. Where ages 
ago nature hurled rocks, lava, ash, and steam into the 
air, man has planted cannon ready to hurl destruction 
upon the ships of an enemy. Much coffee is exported 
from Aden. 

Not far from the coast of Oman are mountains. 
These condense considerable moisture, causing rain, and 
water is led to the lower land, where there are many date 
palm trees. In fact, date gardens are found near the 
coast for a distance of 150 miles northwest of Muscat. 
As a means of protection the people live in villages 
rather than in the country. Camels are generally 
employed in traveling, and because of the great heat 
by day much traveling is done at night. During the day 
the travelers seek such shade as the scattering tamarisk, 
oleander, or acacias afford, or they make a sort of tent 
by stretching blankets across boxes or bales of goods. 

The people in the interior of Arabia are, in large 
part, nomadic; that is, they have no fixed places of 
abode. As pasturage fails, they drive their flocks and 
herds from place to place. They see few strangers, 
for there are no roads, and there is little commerce. 
They are proud of their wild, free life, and are sus¬ 
picious of travelers. They live in tents, which have 


54 


ASIA 



H3 

<X> 

%-i 

O 

r: 

m 

d 

m 

• r-< 

0) 

cfl 

C$ 


CO 

O 

05 

£ 

§ 

o 

CQ 

-O 

*K» 

.C5> 

•<s» 

O 

O 












AllABIA 


55 


none of the conveniences that are found in your 
homes. In the cities the houses are usually built of 
brick or stone and have flat roofs. The Arab women 
who live in towns veil their faces, but those who live 
in the country are allowed much more freedom and 
they do not wear the veil. 

The Arabians, like the people of the Holy Land, wear 
a cloaklike garment. It is usually made of earners 
hair. On their heads they wear turbans. Coffee is 
the national drink. It is generally excellent in quality, 
and is served in small cups. As a compliment to his 
guests, the host usually tastes the coffee before it is 
handed to them. 


Arabia 

“O’er Arabia’s desert sands 
The patient camel walks, 

'Mid lonely caves and rocky lands 
The fell hyena stalks. 

’'On the cool and shady hills 

Coffee shrubs and tam’rinds grow; 
Headlong fall the welcome rills 
Down the fruitless dells below. 

“The fragrant myrrh and healing balm 
Perfume the passing gale; 

Thick hung with dates the spreading palm 
Towers o’er the peopled vale.” 


CHAPTER V 


PERSIA 

For about 2500 years Persia has been a kingdom. It 
is three times as large as France, yet its population 
is only approximately one fourth as great. In some 
parts of the country one can travel for long distances 
without seeing a village. 

Just south of the Caspian Sea rises a mountain system 
known as the Elburz. Many of its peaks are snow- 
covered during the summer as well as in the winter. 
Mt. Demavend, the most lofty of these, is of volcanic 
origin, and reaches an altitude of 18,000 feet. The 
climate and products on the opposite sides of this lofty 
mountain system are very different. On the Caspian 
side the winds are deprived of their moisture, and an 
abundance of rain falls. In places this amounts to 
fifty inches per year. Because of the abundant rain¬ 
fall there are forests, and on the low plain rice, wheat, 
and fruits are grown, the mulberry tree flourishes, 
and considerable silk is produced. From the Caspian 
Sea quantities of fish are obtained. This section is 
often called the garden of Persia. It supplies much 
food to Teheran, the capital. 

56 


PERSIA 


57 


The central part of Persia is a plateau some 2000 
feet in elevation. There are large depressions in 
this plateau once occupied . by inland seas. As the 
water evaporated, the salt was left, and this gleams 
in the sunshine like fields of snow. 

Most of the plateau of Persia is too dry for cul¬ 
tivation. It is said th^it there is not enough water 
to keep one tenth of it under tillage. Where water 
can be obtained, cotton, silk, olives, tobacco, fruits, 
and poppies are produced. The poppy is a very im¬ 
portant crop, from which opium is made. 

Like Arabia, Persia has few streams. There is but 
one navigable river, the Karun. This absence of 
rivers hinders the development of the country. There 
are but a few miles of railroad in the entire kingdom, 
and wagon roads are not common. Travel and trade 
are carried on by means of mules, donkeys, and camels. 
The lack of means of transportation leads to star¬ 
vation in some cases, for the food produced in one 
section cannot be carried to the people in other sections 
where it is needed. A new cart road has been built 
from Resht, which is situated on the shore of the Cas¬ 
pian Sea, to Teheran. 

Teheran is located just south of the Elburz Moun¬ 
tains, and on the edge of a desert region stretching south¬ 
ward. There are passes through the mountains by 
means of which the city is connected with the fertile 


58 


ASIA 



Caspian Sea slope. Water is brought to the city and 
to the fields and orchards in tunnels. About twenty- 
five miles northeast of Teheran, Mt. Demavend lifts 
its snow-crowned head. 

Teheran has walls and gates and some beautiful 
mosques. You would find the dwellings of the com- 


Copyrighted, by Broum Bros. 

Fig. 29. Scene in Teheran 

mon people disappointing. They are made of sun-dried 
bricks, and face streets that are narrow, crooked, and 
dirty. 

Tabriz is situated upon a plain in the northwestern 
part of Persia. Well-watered gardens and orchards sur¬ 
round it. Many rugs are manufactured here, some of 










PERSIA 


59 



which are exported to the United States. Earthquakes 
have many times caused great loss of life in the city. 

A Persian house generally consists of two divisions, 
one for the men and one for the women. The man’s 
power in the house is supreme. When a Persian has 


Fig. 30. Persian nomads 

gentlemen callers or visitors, the women of the house¬ 
hold are not present. The rooms for the women are 
built about an inner court, well secluded from the 
street. Few of the women can read and write. Some 
of them make pilgrimages to Mecca, being absent 
from home as much as a year. 




60 


ASIA 


' You would think many of the customs of the Per¬ 
sians very strange, I am sure. Some of the people are 
very superstitious, and consult soothsayers before send¬ 
ing for a doctor or starting on a journey. Many think 



Fig. 31. A Persian Girl 


that blue will guard them from harm, and therefore 
turquoise is highly prized. 

A man’s wife is generally selected for him by his 
mother. If, when the public announcement is made, 
the young man is not pleased with his mother’s choice, 





PERSIA 


61 


he may withdraw from the engagement by paying to 
the young lady a certain sum of money. A man does 
not speak to his wife should he meet her on the street. 

Friday is the Mohammedan Sunday, and on that day 
all go to the public baths, and then to the mosque or 
church. They prostrate themselves toward Mecca, the 
priest leading in the devotions. 

In the homes of the poorer people no tables are used. 
A large piece of leather is spread upon the ground, and 
upon this the food is placed. The people sit upon 
their heels and use their fingers in eating. Only the 
right hand is used. After eating they wash their hands 
in rose-water. A servant usually purchases the food, 
and keeps a commission amounting to about ten per 
cent. The noonday meal is followed by a sleep. The 
beds are padded quilts spread upon the floor at night, 
and put away during the day. 

Persia 

“ Persia ! time-honored land ! who looks on thee 
A desert, yet a Paradise, will see, 

Vast chains of hills where not a shrub appears, 

Wastes where no dews distill their diamond tears, 

The only living things foul birds of prey, * 

Who whet their beaks or court the solar ray, 

And wolves that fill with howlings midnight’s vale, 
Turning the cheek of far-off traveler pale; — 

Anon, the ravished eye delighted dwells 
On chinar groves and brightly watered dells; 


62 


ASIA 


Blooming where man and art have nothing done, 
Pomegranates hang their rich fruit in the sun; 
Grapes turn to purple many a rock’s tall brow, 

And globes of gold adorn the citron’s bough; 

Mid rose trees hid, or perched on some high palm, 
The bulbul sings through eve’s delicious calm ; 

While girt by plains, or washed by cooling streams, 
On some green flat the stately city gleams.” 

— Nicholas Michell. 


\ 



CHAPTER VI 


AFGHANISTAN 

If you will examine a map of Asia, you will see that 
Persia, Russia, and India nearly surround the country 
called Afghanistan. Because of its position this country 
is a prize which the people of the surrounding countries 
have long wished to secure. While Afghanistan is rec¬ 
ognized as being independent, she enjoys the protection 
of Great Britain. The ruler is known as the ameer. 

Afghanistan is a land of lofty mountains and broad 
deserts. The country is, therefore, very inaccessible, 
and nearly all traveling is done on the backs of horses 
and camels. Most of the commerce is carried on by 
means of caravans, although there are a few wagon 
roads in the eastern part of the country, and a rail¬ 
road connects the city of Kandahar with India. Al¬ 
though Afghanistan is twice as large as the Britislr 
Isles, the population is less than that of London. 

In the northeast are the Hindu Kush Mountains, 

•' 

the most lofty peaks of which are more than 20,000 feet 
in altitude, and are therefore snow-covered through¬ 
out the year. In the southwestern part there are des¬ 
erts where violent sand storms often occur. 


63 


64 


ASIA 








AFGHANISTAN 


65 


Some of the valleys are well irrigated and are wonder¬ 
fully fertile. One of these is the valley of the Kabul 
River. On the north and south of the valley are high 
mountains. To the east is the Khaibar Pass, one of 
the most important gateways to India. Many caravans 
follow this route, and obtain supplies of food from the 
orchards and gardens in the valley. The very old city 
of Kabul, which is the capital of Afghanistan, situated 
upon the river of the same name, guards this entrance 
to the country. One of the railroads of India ter¬ 
minates within about sixty miles of the pass. 

In the western part of Afghanistan, on the Heri- 
rud River, is Herat, often called the “Gate of India /' 1 
for by following the valley eastward and crossing the 
Hindu Kush, the valley of the Kabul and the 
Khaibar Pass are reached. Like Kabul, Herat is 
very old, and once contained a large population. 
For centuries armies have marched to and fro by 
way of Kabul and on this account it has been many 
times destroyed and rebuilt. In the fertile valley 
of the Herirud fruits and other crops are grown by 
irrigation. 

Because of the differences in elevation in different 
parts of the country, Afghanistan has a variety of 
climates. In some of the most lofty valleys snow re¬ 
mains on the ground for several months each year, and 
the people are, therefore, shut up in their houses. On 


66 


ASIA 


the lower lands cotton, oranges, apricots, rice, and sugar 
cane thrive. 

There is much mineral wealth in the country, but, 
because of the backwardness of the people, it is not 
extensively developed. For the same reason there is 
comparatively little manufacturing carried on. Some 
carpets, rugs, and shawls are made and exported, but 
most of the articles manufactured are made in the homes 
of the people, and are used at home. Other things ex¬ 
ported are indigo, tobacco, fruits, horses, and furs. 

Kabul 

“Oh, who Kabul’s sweet region may behold. 

When spring laughs out, or autumn sows her gold, 
******* 
Flowers here, of every scent and form and dye, 

Lift their bright heads, and laugh upon the sky, 

From the tall tulip with her rich streaked bell, 

Where, throned in state, Queen Mab is proud to dwell, 
To lowly windflowers that gaudier plants eclipse, 

And pensile hairbells with their dewey lips. 

There turns the heliotrope to court the sun, 

And up green stalks the starry jasmines run.” 

— Nicholas Michell. 


CHAPTER VII 


\ 


INDIA 

India is the largest peninsula in the world. Its area 
is one half as great as that of Europe. The great 
state of Texas is less than one sixth as large as India. 
Unlike Arabia, India is densely populated, having three 
times as many inhabitants as are found in the United 
States. 

Lofty mountains separate India from the surrounding 
countries of Asia. For more than 1000 miles the snow- 
crowned Himalayas, the highest mountains on the 
globe, extend between India and Tibet. The central 
range contains the highest peaks, many of which are 
more than 25,000 feet in altitude, while Mt. Everest 
rises 29,000 feet above the sea. No one has ever 
reached the summit of this peak, which is believed to 
be the highest point on the earth’s surface. Even the 
passes are so high that most of them are permanently 
occupied by snow fields or glaciers. Because of this 
there are neither railroads nor wagon roads between 
India and China. Commerce by land between the 
two countries is therefore very limited. 

North and west of the Himalayas there are other 
67 


68 


ASIA 


great mountain systems, which radiate from the 
Pamir or “Roof of the World.” By these, India is 
still further separated from the Chinese Empire, and 
also from Russia, Afghanistan, and Persia. The Vale 
of Cashmere is a beautiful mountain valley, surrounded 
by snow-covered mountains. It is so sheltered that 
it has a delightful climate. Grains, fruits, and silk are 
produced here. 

South of the mountains a great, low plain stretches 
east and west across India. This plain is drained by 
the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Indus rivers. 
In fact, it has been largely built up by the sedi¬ 
ment deposited by these streams. It is said that 
there is scarcely a stone upon the surface of this 
plain from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea. 
In the eastern part the soil is so fertile and so 
well watered that the population is very dense. 
Many streams flow across the delta of the Ganges, 
and canals extend from these in all directions. These 
canals serve to irrigate the rice fields. During the 
rainy season the common means of traveling from 
village to village is by boat. The plain of the Indus 
receives very little rain, and is not densely populated. 

That portion of India south of the plain is a plateau 
known as the Dekkan. It is bordered by mountain 
ranges, — on the west the Western Ghats, on the east 
the Eastern Ghats, and on the north the Nilgiri Moun- 


INDIA 


69 



Fig. 33. Bullock cart in India 






70 


ASIA 



tains. The Western Ghats are very much higher than 
the eastern mountains. Being surrounded by moun¬ 
tains the plateau receives only a moderate amount of 
rain. In some portions irrigation has been practiced 


Photo by Magie 

Fig. 34. Riding an elephant in India 

for ages. On the seaward slopes, especially on the 
west, rainfall is abundant. 

The climate on the lofty Himalaya Mountains is 
always like that of the polar regions, while on the low 
plains cold weather never occurs. The southern point 
of India is within a few degrees of the equator, and 
therefore much of the country has a tropical climate. 





INDIA 


71 


During the summer, India and other portions of south¬ 
ern Asia are so much warmer than the sea that the 
wind blows steadily from the water for several months. 
This wind is known as the monsoon, and is of the great¬ 
est importance. As the warm, moisture-laden atmos¬ 
phere comes in contact with the cold mountain tops, 
the moisture is condensed, and rain falls. 

Without the rain which the summer or the wet monsoon 
supplies to India, the crops in large areas would fail, 
and there would be famine in the land. In fact, when 
there is a year during which the rainfall is much less 
than the average, there is great suffering. The begin¬ 
ning of the rainy season, which is known as the “ burst¬ 
ing of the monsoon,” is eagerly watched for by the 
people. This takes place about the last of May on the 
southwestern coast, and a month later in northern 
India. 

On the west slope of the Western Ghats Mountains 
the yearly rainfall averages one hundred inches or 
more, while on the plateau it is from twenty to thirty 
inches. As the Himalaya Mountains are so much 
higher than the Ghats, the rainfall on their southern 
slope is very great. In the northeastern part of Ind^, 
it amounts to four hundred inches or more annually. 
This is ten times as much rain as falls in the central 
and eastern parts of the United States in the same 
time. 


72 


ASIA 



Fig. 35. A typical well in India 





INDIA 


73 


It is difficult to endure a high temperature when the 
air is very moist. On this account many of the Euro¬ 
peans in India leave the plain of the Ganges during the 
hot season, and go to the hills. Practically no work 
is done at this season except during the early morning. 
Very soon after sunrise it becomes so hot that doors and 
windows are closed, and people shut themselves up in 
their houses. 

During the winter months the wind blows from the 
land to the sea, because at that season the water is 
warmer than the land. This movement is known as 
the dry monsoon. The winter monsoon brings some 
rain to the region east of the Eastern Ghats, and to the 
island of Ceylon, but very little to other sections. As 
you have learned, a part of the plain of the Indus is 
very dry. Lying west of the river is the Indian Desert, 
an area about four hundred miles long, and half as wide. 

Except on the mountain slopes, where rainfall is 
abundant, India has no extensive forests. Bamboo is 
very widely distributed, however, and is useful in many 
ways. India is an important wheat-growing country, 
and a considerable quantity is exported from the basin 
of the Indus. In the northeast, where the land is marshy, 
rice is grown in great quantities. Other important 
crops are jute, cotton, tea, coffee, and tropical fruits. 

Agriculture is the leading industry in India. About 
two thirds of the total population is engaged in this 


74 


ASIA 



Fig. 36. Vegetable stall in Darjeeling 











INDIA 


75 


occupation. As the population is dense, and the people 
poor, little machinery is used in farm work. Wooden 
plows, sometimes with iron tips, are made by the village 
carpenters at a cost of one or two dollars each. Grain 
is quite commonly cut by means of sickles, and threshed 
by hand, or under the feet of animals. Women grind 
grain in hand mills as they did centuries ago. Ten 
cents per day is a fair price for farm labor. The 
farmers are called “ryots,” and they live in villages 
instead of in isolated farmhouses. 

The people of India depend upon irrigation to a very 
large extent. Irrigated crops are much more certain 
than are those where rainfall is depended upon. As the 
irrigation systems are more fully developed, famines 
become less frequent. As in our country, the govern¬ 
ment is carrying on the great projects. In the basin of 
the Indus are found the largest irrigation works in the 
world. 

For ages India has produced gold and precious stones, 
but it is not to-day an important gold-producing coun¬ 
try. A large part of the rubies of the world come from 
Burma, and jade also is produced here. This is a stone 
that the Chinese value very highly. India produces 
great quantities of manganese, a mineral similar to 
iron, and some petroleum and coal. Much of the coal 
is poor in quality. 

India is not noted as a manufacturing country. 


76 


ASIA 



© 

•♦o 

O 

a, 






F ■ ■ 


4i< 


,v 






;;- v ,,;: 


'■ '• _ -•-• _._—--- • 






»V m* 5P" 


| V ' '■ '. 

| | -4 « * 




Fig. 37. Making bricks at Delhi 


















INDIA 


77 


Considerable hand work is done, the products being 
cashmere shawls, and articles made of leather, ivory, 
and metal. In the large cities machinery is used in 
manufacturing to some extent. Considerable cotton 
is manufactured at Bombay, and some cotton goods 
are exported. Jute is manufactured extensively in 
Calcutta. 

Unlike most of the countries of Asia, India has many 
rail and wagon roads. These were constructed by the 
English, who own the country, chiefly in order to make 
it easier to defend the land. They are also of great 
value for purpose^ of trade and travel. For many cen¬ 
turies the rivers have been followed by the people of 
India, whether they were traveling or carrying on trade. 
The Ganges, or, as the natives call it, “ Mother Ganges/’ 
is the most important river. It is navigable as far as 
Cawnpur. Bathing in the Ganges and drinking its 
waters are believed by the natives to be very beneficial. 
The Brahmaputra is navigable to Assam, and the Ira- 
wadi to Mandalay. The Indus practically supports no 
commerce, as its channel is almost constantly shifting. 

India has many large and ancient cities. A large 
number of different religions are practiced, and many 
different languages spoken. The dress of the people, 
as well as many of their customs, are quite different 
from ours. From another chapter you will learn more 
of the cities and the people of this interesting land. 


78 


ASIA 



Fig. 38. Musicians in Jaipur 







INDIA 


79 


India 

“Vast are the shores of India’s wealthful soil; 
Southward sea-girt she forms a demi-isle: 
****** 

Two infant rivers pour the crystal tide, 

Indus the one, and one the Ganges named, 

* * * * * * 
Between these streams, fair smiling to the day, 
The Indian lands their wide domains display, 
And many a league far to the south they bend 
From the broad region where the rivers end, 

Till where the shores to Ceylon’s isle oppose 
In conic form, the Indian regions close.” 

— Luis de Camoens. 


/ 


• <• 


CHAPTER VIII 

SOME INDIAN CITIES 

India is one of the ancient lands of the world, and 
yet its history is not very important. While its people 
number about three hundred million, they are not, 
as a rule, enterprising. The character of the climate is 
largely responsible for this, for in a hot moist climate 
people have little ambition. The English who live in 
India find it hard to endure the summer climate on the 
lowlands, and if possible they spend the hottest 
months in the hills, where it is cooler. 

The natives of. India vary considerably in complexion, 
some being very dark, and others lighter. Although 
there are many highly educated Indians, the majority 
are ignorant, superstitious, and poor. There are millions 
of people who think it wrong to kill animals. As one 
result of this belief, these people do not eat meat. 
A much more serious result is the fact that tigers and 
poisonous snakes cause a great loss of life yearly because 
they are not hunted down and killed as they would 
be in other parts of the world. 

Great numbers of the natives live in miserable huts 
with floors of earth and thatched roofs. These huts 
so 


SOME INDIAN CITIES 


81 



contain practically no furniture or conveniences of any 
kind. The poor people dress in cheap cotton goods, 
often white oecause of the heat, and the men wear 
several yards of cloth twisted around the head. This 
headdress is called a turban. 


Photo by Richardson 

Fig. 39. A house in India / 

There are hundreds of different classes of society, 
known as castes. Usually the people of one caste will 
have nothing to do with those of another. A man must 
live among those of his own caste; he must follow the 
trade that his father followed; he must not eat any¬ 
thing that has been handled by a person of another 









82 


ASIA 


caste, and he may not marry a woman outside of his 
own caste. This, of course, hinders progress greatly. 

There are many large cities in India, but few of them 
are important industrial or commercial centers. While 
they are in some ways interesting, there are many very 
unpleasant things about them. We see many evidences 
of unsanitary conditions, of poverty, and of misery. 
Even in the best hotels the accommodations are some¬ 
times very unsatisfactory. Travelers quite commonly 
carry their own bedding. 

Calcutta, the largest of the Indian cities, is situated 
upon the delta of the Indus, about seventy-five miles 
from the sea. It is on a distributary of the Ganges 
known as the Hoogly River. This city draws upon 
the vast fertile plains of the Ganges, and, as there is 
no city between Calcutta and the mouth of the river, it 
has considerable commerce, and is a great center of 
population. 

On the marsh lands in the vicinity, great quantities 
of rice are raised, and this is an important article of 
food. As there is coal not far away some manufactur¬ 
ing is carried on. During the hottest part of the day 
little business is done, and comparatively few people 
are seen upon the streets. 

As Calcutta is the capital of India, this adds to its 
importance. Many English are found in the city, 
especially during the winter, because then the climate 


SOME INDIAN CITIES 


83 


is cooler and better suited to Europeans than it is in 
the summer. 


As you might expect, there are many cities situated 
on the Ganges. Benares, one of these, is a very ancient 
and a very holy city. Both the Hindus and the Bud- 



Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 40. Calcutta 


dhists regard the city as sacred. It is the river, however, 
that makes Benares holy. Even the sight of the waters 
of this stream is believed to take away sin. People 
travel on foot for hundreds of miles to bathe in the river, 
to drink its waters, or simply to die upon its banks. 

For a distance of three miles along the water front 
there is an almost unbroken succession of flights of 









84 


ASIA 


/ 


# 



Fig. 41. Hindus at their devotions in Benares 







SOME INDIAN CITIES 


85 


stone steps leading down to the river. From morning 
until night thousands of people may be seen going up 
and down these steps, bathing in the stream, or carry¬ 
ing water away in jars. 

The streets are narrow and winding. In addition 
to the crowds of people there are many camels, horses, 
sacred cows, and even monkeys moving to and fro. 
As Benares depends almost entirely upon those who 
visit it for religious purposes, very little manufacturing 
is carried on. Instead of factories, mills, and business 
houses, we see an unusually large number of temples, 
pagodas, and shrines. 

A little farther up the river is Allahabad, which means 
the “City of God.” It is located where the Jumna 
flows into the Ganges. The city has its native and its 
English quarters, as most cities in the Orient have. 
Just above Allahabad the Jumna is spanned by a great 
bridge. 

In the city of Agra, on the Jumna River, there is a 
building that it is worth a trip to India to see. It is 
probably the most beautiful building in the world, 
and yet it is a tomb. This wonderful building, known 
as the Taj Mahal, was built by the emperor Sljah 
Jehan for his wife. Before it was completed she died, 
and so it became her burial place. It is said that 
twenty thousand workmen were employed continuously 
for twenty-one years in erecting the Taj. Although 



Fig. 42. Taj Mahal 












SOME INDIAN CITIES 


87 


it is more than two hundred and fifty years since this 
beautiful structure was completed, it is still the admira¬ 
tion of all who see it. 

The Taj stands beside the river, and is set in a beauti¬ 
ful park of about forty acres. From the gate in the 
wall that surrounds the park, a broad paved walk 
leads to the entrance of the building. On either side 
of the walk are rows of cypress trees, and close to the 
walk on one side is a canal in which there are numerous 
fountains. In the park, orange and palm trees, rose 
bushes, and many other beautiful plants are found. 

The building, which is constructed of white marble, 
is surmounted by a central dome seventy feet in di¬ 
ameter. About this are four smaller domes, while at 
each corner of the great platform upon which the build¬ 
ing stands, rises a lofty column known as a minaret. 
The inside of this wonderful building is decorated with 
carnelian, agate, lapis lazuli, and jewels. These are ar¬ 
ranged in the form of wreaths and scrolls. In the pure 
white marble thousands of beautiful flowers have been 
cut in relief. It is no wonder that the Taj Mahal has 
been called a “poem in stone.” 

The Taj Mahal 

“With minarets of marble rising stately from a sea 
Of the dark-leaved mango’s foliage streaked by the jaman 
tree, 

Up to the empyrean where the crescent glitters bright, 


88 


ASIA 











im- 


Fig. 43. A water carrier in Bombay 









SOME INDIAN CITIES 


89 


Calm and unchanged, still shining through the fall of Moslem 
might, 

One majesty of whiteness the Taj of Agra stands, 

Like no work of human builder, but a care of angel hands. 

* * * * * ' * * 
Majestic shrine of other days, to thee the power belongs 
To resist the flight of ages and to awe the stranger throngs; 
Long as the sacred Jumna o’er its bed of sand shall flow 
Thy glorious dome to heaven shall raise its massive breast of 
snow, 

For the spirit of the monarch and the builder’s art combine 
To guard from lightning’s levin-bolt, and time’s decay, the 
shrine.” 

— Anonymous. 

India’s best harbor is on her west coast. Here on the 
island of Bombay, about ten miles in length, we find 
the city of the same name. This island, and others 
near by, were once in the possession of the Portuguese, 
but in 1661 King John IV of Portugal gave the island 
of Bombay to his daughter Catherine. As she became 
the wife of Charles II of England, it passed into the 
hands of the English. 

A causeway upon which there is a railroad connects 
the island of Bombay with the island of Salsetti north 
of it, and this island is connected with the, mainland 
in a similar manner. 

During our Civil War the cotton industry in the 
United States received a serious blow. This encouraged 
the production of cotton in India, and for several years 


90 


ASIA 


it was exported from Bombay in large quantities. 
When peace was once more restored in the United 
States, Bombay lost her importance in this line. She 
still ships some cotton to Manchester, England, and 
she has cotton mills where some of the raw cotton is 
manufactured. Wheat also is exported. 

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 increased the 
commerce of Bombay. Can you see why? Bombay 
has railroad connections with Madras, and also with 
Calcutta and with the great valley of the Ganges. 
Bombay is the second largest city in India, having a 
population of more than seven hundred thousand. 
India has at least eight cities, each one of which has a 
population of more than two hundred thousand persons. 
This shows you that a large part of the total popu¬ 
lation of India lives in cities. 


CHAPTER IX 


CEYLON 

India projects southward into the Indian Ocean. 
The island of Ceylon is just to the south and east of 
the lower point of this great peninsula. Ceylon is 
separated from the mainland by Palk Strait and the 
Gulf of Manaar. Although the island appears to be 
entirely cut off from India proper, there is a coral reef 
known as Adam’s Bridge that really connects the two. 
Ceylon is more than two hundred and sixty-five miles 
long and half as wide. Its area is twenty-five thousand 
square miles. 

In the south of Ceylon the country is quite moun¬ 
tainous. There are several mountain peaks, the high¬ 
est, Piduru Talagala, or Pedrotalagalla, being over eight 
thousand feet in altitude. As you go north the 
country becomes lower, and a wide plain extends nearly 
across the island. Here is found a jungle that is wild 
and overgrown with tropical trees, shrubs, and running 
vines. Moss covers the trees, and in the swamps there 
is much vegetation. It is almost impossible to enter 
this jungle, and here beasts and reptiles have their home. 

In the valleys and on the plain, where the rainfall is 
91 


92 


ASIA 



abundant, the soil is fertile and the vegetation very 
luxuriant. Along the coast the graceful cocoa palms 
are found, and other kinds of palms grow in pro¬ 
fusion. There are tree ferns much taller than a person, 
and great rubber and banyan trees. One of the pecul-. 


Photo by Richardson 

Fig. 44. Elephants moving logs in Ceylon 

iar trees bears a sausage-shaped fruit, and is therefore 
called the sausage tree. The fruit is not eaten, however. 
Another tree has a long, slender fruit resembling a 
candle, and this tree is called the candle tree. It is 
interesting to know that the fruit contains an oil that 
is actually used in lamps. From the bark of a tree 



CEYLON 


93 


known as the chinchona tree quinine is made. The 
chinchona bark is exported in great quantities because, 
although quinine is largely used as a medicine in colder 
regions, the tree grows in tropical countries only. 

Some coffee is produced in Ceylon, but the island is 
especially noted for its tea. There are many large 
plantations of tea, and there are only two other coun¬ 
tries in the world that produce more tea than Ceylon. 
What are they ? During the tea-picking season many 
of the inhabitants of India find employment on the 
tea plantations of Ceylon. They are paid from ten to 
sixteen cents per day. Why are wages so low ? 

A land entirely surrounded by water is likely to have 
a temperate climate, even though in a tropical region. 
Why ? There are two monsoons that blow every year 
in Ceylon. These winds blow steadily for weeks at a 
time. Prom Februaiy until May these winds do not 
blow. This period between the two monsoons is the 
hottest time of the year in Ceylon. About ninety 
inches, or seven and one half feet, of rain falls each year 
in certain sections of the island. In the hilly country 
the climate is very pleasant from December until May. 

Many kinds of wild animals are foupd in Ceylon. 
The elephant, bear, monkey, panther, several varieties 
of small deer, and the peacock live here. There are 
several tribes of wild people in the mountains. Much 
of the interior of the country is little known. 


94 


ASIA 


Mining is an important industry. Every year many 
thousands of tons of minerals are exported. There are 
mines of gold and iron, and plumbago or graphite is 
mined in large quantities. For what is graphite used ? 
Many precious stones come from Ceylon. Rubies and 
sapphires are found there in great abundance. 

Ceylon is sometimes called the “ Pearl Garden/’ on 
account of the large number of magnificent pearls 
found there. In the shallow waters along the shore of 
the Gulf of Manaar pearl fishing is carried on very 
extensively. The fishing grounds are called “paars.” 
They are about two miles from shore, and are under 
from thirty to fifty feet of water. The pearl oysters 
are not oysters at all, although they somewhat resem¬ 
ble oysters. They are devoured in great numbers by 
fish, and therefore during some years pearl fishing is a 
great success, and during others it is a failure. 

The fishing season lasts from March until the last of 
April. This period, as you have learned, is between the 
monsoons. What advantage is there in that? The 
fishery is under the control of the government. The 
pearl banks are carefully examined before the season 
opens, and the catch for the season is estimated. The 
grounds are leased, and the date on which the season 
is to open is published. 

From thirty thousand to fifty thousand people engage 
in this work, and there is much excitement. The value 


CEYLON 


95 












96 


ASIA 


of a single pearl may be great enough to make a man 
rich, but of course such pearls are not very numerous. 
In the early morning the boats containing the divers 
and their helpers go to the fishing banks. 

The divers, who are in most cases Arabs, are lowered 
to the bottom by means of ropes. In order that the 
diver may reach the bottom as quickly as possible, a 
flat stone having a hole in it is attached to one end of 
the rope. The diver grasps the rope, places his feet 
upon this stone, and rapidly sinks out of sight. 

You may be sure that he cannot remain under water 
long at a time, for he does not use a diving bell. His 
nostrils are kept closed by means of a clothespin-like 
stick that he fastens across his nose. He must work 
rapidly, for within one and one half minutes after he 
enters the water he will have to be drawn up to the 
boat. The diver signals his helper by jerking the rope. 
After resting for five or six minutes, the diver is ready 
to go down again. 

These men receive no money for their work. In¬ 
stead, they are given one third of the catch. As soon 
as the shells have been divided, people crowd about 
the divers, anxious to buy their share. No one can tell 
how many pearls are in a quantity of shells, nor what 
their value may be until after each shell has been ex¬ 
amined. In some cases this is done by opening the 
shells upon the spot, but the companies allow the great 




CEYLON 


97 



H 


Fig. 46. Boats on the bay at Colombo 












98 


ASIA 


mass of shells to become softened through the decay 
of the animals within them. They are then very care¬ 
fully sorted under water. The workmen are closely 
watched so as to prevent them from taking any of the 
pearls. 

Pearl fishing is a very ancient industry. It was 
carried on in Ceylon before the birth of Christ. Many 
of the superstitious fishermen believe that the pearls 
are caused by raindrops falling into the shells when they 
are open, and in ancient times some people believed 
that pearls were tears. Scientists believe that pearls 
are the result of the work of parasites within the shells. 

The capital of Ceylon is Colombo, situated on the 
west coast. There are many interesting sights in the 
harbor as well as upon shore. Natives in curiously 
shaped canoes come out to meet each ship, hoping to 
sell something to tourists. Arab boys are eager to 
dive for small coins, which passengers often throw over¬ 
board for them. We may ride about the city in jin- 
rikishas just as people do in Japan. In the streets 
we see large carts with thatched tops, drawn by white 
bullocks. 

Long, long ago there was an ancient civilization in 
Ceylon. Just as in Italy where there are ancient cities 
and famous roads, so in Ceylon there are vast reservoirs 
where the early people stored water. The people who 
lived here understood irrigation, and these reservoirs 


CEYLON 


99 


were built in the regions where the rainfall was light. 
To-day these vast storage tanks are still used, as there 
are no large lakes. 

In Ceylon there are nearly four million people. 
These are mostly natives. The Portuguese came to the 
island in 1505 and soon began to trade. After about 
one hundred and fifty years the Dutch drove out the 
Portuguese. For two hundred years England has 
controlled Ceylon, and the island has an English gov¬ 
ernor. In religion the natives are Buddhists, Brah¬ 
mans, and Mohammedans. 


CHAPTER X 


SIAM 

Siam, in the extreme southeastern part of Asia, forms 
a part of the peninsula of Indo China. It would take 
five states the size of New York to equal in area the 
kingdom of Siam. The population of Siam is about 
one tenth that of the United States. 

As the countiy extends from about the tenth to the 
twentieth parallels of north latitude, the climate is very 
warm, especially in the lowlands. The temperature 
does not vary greatly between summer and winter, 
averaging about 80° F. The rainfall is very abun¬ 
dant, amounting to fifty inches or more per year. 
During the summer the monsoon blows from the ocean 
toward Siam, because southern Asia is then much 
warmer than the waters of the ocean. As these mois¬ 
ture-laden winds strike the mountains rain occurs. 
The most of the rain therefore falls between May and 
October. 

Naturally we find tropical vegetation here. Upon 
the lowlands the palm, bamboo, banyan, rubber, and 
other trees grow. Among the cultivated plants are 
cotton, sugar cane, coffee, rice, tobacco, and bananas. 

100 


SIAM 


101 


Rice is the chief crop of the country, and it is also 
the chief export. It is grown extensively on the marshy 
lands of the delta of the Menam. There are many 
irrigation canals by means of which the water is carried 
to the rice fields. The rice is sown in gardens, and when 



Copyrighted by Broum Bros. 

Fig. 47. A home in Siam 


the plants are about a foot high they are transplanted 
to the fields. Think how very slow and tedious this 
work must be ! Instead of being cut by machinery, 
the rice is cut by means of sickles, if the fields are dry 
enough. Sometimes during the harvesting season the 





102 


ASIA 


fields are covered with water. How do you suppose the 
grain is harvested then ? Men move back and forth 
over the fields in boats and cut off the heads of the rice 
with their sickles. 

You see from this that agriculture is carried on in a 
very primitive fashion. Often the plows are nothing 
but crooked sticks, having only one handle. Attached 
to the plow one will see an ox or a water buffalo instead 
of a horse. The plowman guides the animal by means 
of a rope fastened to its nose. 

In the forests much teak timber grows. This wood is 
used in ship building. It is cut during the wet season, 
for then the trees are not broken by falling. As the 
logs are so heavy, and the mud is so deep, elephants are 
employed to handle them. These animals are trained 
so that they are very intelligent. They pile up logs 
and timbers almost as readily as men could do it. 

Many wild elephants are found in the forests, and 
there is occasionally a white one. Indeed, the flag of 
Siam is a white elephant on a red field. The tiger, 
panther, rhinoceros, wild boar, water buffalo, musk 
deer, wolf, and crocodile are other animals that roam 
the forests. 

As you have learned, rice is grown on the lowlands 
because it requires so much water. As this is the staple 
crop, the people live where its cultivation is most suc¬ 
cessful. In many cases the people live in houses built 


SIAM 


103 


upon great rafts made of bundles of bamboo. Some 
villages are made up almost entirely of these floating 
houses, even the stores or shops being of the same char¬ 
acter. Other villages are built on piles raising the 



Copyrighted, by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 48. Wrapping tobacco in Siam r 


buildings above the water. The buffalo or pony, 
as the case may be, is apt to be sheltered under the 
house. 

The people of hot countries do not eat much meat. 




104 


ASIA 


The chief foods of the people of Siam are rice, fish, and 
fruits. Generally but two meals a day are eaten, one 
before the heat becomes very intense, and the other as 
soon as the greatest heat of the day is over. Between 
ten in the morning and three in the afternoon very 
little work is done. You see how greatly the devel¬ 
opment of a people depends upon the nature of the 
climate of their countiy. 

As the people live on the banks of streams and canals 
so commonly, of course a great deal of traveling is 
done by boat. In fact, boat racing is one of the sports 
of the people. Practically all children, as well as grown 
people, know how to swim, and in such a warm coun¬ 
try swimming is much enjoyed. Among the boys there 
is much flying of kites, while the girls play with dolls. 
Perhaps girls in our country would not admire the dolls 
used by the girls of Siam, for they are generally made 
of mud. 

Bangkok, the capital of Siam, is situated about thirty 
miles from the mouth of the Menam, the largest river 
in the country. The latitude of the city is about fifteen 
degrees north of the equator, and as it is close to sea 
level, it is always hot. On all sides of Bangkok are 
rice fields, and rice is the chief export of the city. 

There are many canals in Bangkok, and formerly 
these furnished practically the only means of communi¬ 
cation. There are now many miles of macadamized 


i ill*' 


SIAM 


105 



* 


Fig. 49. A view in Bangkok 








106 


ASIA 


streets in the capital, and automobiles are becoming 
common. Thd king has several. The population of 
the city is about eight hundred thousand; so, you 
see, it is an important place. In some ways it is quite 
like a city in our own country, for it has electric cars, 
telephones, hotels, and libraries. 


CHAPTER XI 


FRENCH INDO CHINA 

If you will look on your map, you will find the penin¬ 
sula of Siam just east of the club-shaped Malay Penin¬ 
sula. The southern portion of the peninsula of Siam 
is divided into several small countries, among them 
Cochin China, Tonking, Annam, Cambodia, and Laos. 
Lower Cochin China, or French Indo China, is a small 
country at the lower end of the peninsula, and projects 
into the South China Sea. The Gulf of Siam is on the 
east. Between this country and Siam is the Mekong 
River. 

The French people have control over all of this terri¬ 
tory. There are only a few hundred Europeans in the 
entire country, and practically no Americans live there. 
The climate is unhealthful along the coast, as the land 
is low and swampy. Inland from the coast there are 
low mountains and a fertile plain, and at the north the 
mountains reach a height of three thousand feet. 

The Mekong River broadens out in the form of a delta 
before it empties into the South China Sea. The land 
bordering on this delta is very fertile. Farther north 
an arm of the Mekong widens out in a lake called Bien- 
107 


108 


AST A 


Boa, or “Great Lake.” This lake receives much water 
from the Mekong when the river is high. When the 
river is low, water flows from the lake back into the 
river. 

The land along the coast is much like that along the 
Atlantic in some parts of our southern states. The 
marshes are covered with cane. There are also vast' 
forests or jungles, and here many wild beasts make their 
home. The tiger, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, wild 
cattle, snakes, and reptiles are found in great numbers. 
The buffalo is a domestic animal in French Indo China, 
and labors as patiently as does the horse in our coun¬ 
try or the elephant in parts of India. 

In the rich valley of the Mekong and in the fertile 
plain lying back from the coast rich crops are raised. 
The chief food of the people is rice, as in China, and 
large quantities of rice are exported. Sugar cane, cot¬ 
ton, tobacco, tea, coffee, beans, maize, peanuts, cocoa- 
nuts, pepper, indigo, mulberries, bananas, and cin- 
namonbark are produced in great quantities. The 
mulberry tree is grown, and the finest silk fabrics are 
made. Other exports are dried fish, isinglass, ivory, 
rhinoceros and buffalo horns, and buffalo hides. 

There is a rainy season, which is the summer season 
of the country farther to the north. Twice as much 
rain falls every year as in our states bordering on the 
Atlantic Ocean. The people are chiefly natives, but 


FRENCH IN DO CHINA 


109 



Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 














110 


ASIA 



there are also large numbers of Chinese. The children 
of French Indo China are taught in the schools by native 
teachers. The schools are, however, managed by the 
French. The people are very superstitious and have 
many gods to whom they offer sacrifices in their 
temples. In some parts of the country there are 


Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 51. River at Singapore 

wonderful ruins of buried cities, temples, and palaces, 
showing that people have lived here for many hundreds 
of years. 

Most of the people still believe in the religion called 
Buddhism, and worship Buddha. Do you not think 
it strange that these people are under French rule and 
that most of the trade of the countiy is in the hands of 
the Chinese ? 






CHAPTER XII 



THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 

In studying Europe you were surprised to learn how 
old some of the castles, churches, and other buildings 


Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 52. Section of Great Wall of China 

are. China was old when civilization in Europe began. 
Customs that were established many centuries ago have 
remained practically unchanged. In< China one does 
not find great castles such as are perched upon the hill¬ 
tops along the Rhine, for the Chinese are not a race of 
warriors. Nowhere else do we find, however, such a 
111 







112 


ASIA 



record of the physical labor of man as is the Great 
Wall. 

Wishing to keep the Mongols of the north out of their 
country, the Chinese constructed the greatest wall on 
earth. It is nearly fifteen hundred miles in length, 
and extends over mountains and across valleys. The 
work was commenced about two hundred years before 


Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 53. A gateway through the Great Wall 

the birth of Christ, and although hundreds of thousands 
of workmen were employed, ten years were required 
to build the wall. It is said that an army guarded the 
men while they worked. 

The wall is from twenty-five to thirty feet high, and 
is nearly as thick. At intervals of a few hundred feet 
towers rise from it, while stairways lead down to the 





THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


113 


Chinese side. The outer part, is of brick, but the in¬ 
terior is composed of stones and dirt packed solidly. 
Here and there a gate leads through the wall. 

The Wall of China 

“There standeth a building which ages have tried. 

It is not a dwelling, it is not a fane; 

A hundred days round it the rider may ride, 

And ride, if to compass its measure, in vain. 

And years told in hundreds against it have striven, 

By time never sapped, and by storm never bowed, 

Still sublimely it stands in the rainbow of heaven, 
Reaching now to the ocean and now to the cloud. 

Not constructed a boast to vainglory to yield, 

It serves as defender, to save and to shield; 

And nowhere its like on the earth is surveyed; 

And yet by the labors of man it was made.” 

— Friedrich von Schiller. 

The Chinese republic is larger than the United States, 
and there are more people in this one country than 
there are in all Europe. In the northern and western 
parts there are deserts, lofty plateaus, and still more 
lofty mountains. These parts of the countiy are 
sparsely populated and are not well known. 

Much of the plateau of Tibet is as high as the summit 
of Mt. Whitney in California, or Mt. Bianc in the Alps. 
On the north are the Kuen-Lun Mountains, and on 
the south the Himalayas. It is therefore very difficult 
to reach Tibet from the outside world. Partly on this 


i 


114 


ASIA 


account, and partly because the natives do not 
wish foreigners to enter, portions of Tibet are yet 
unknown. 

In the southern part of Tibet is Lassa, a sacred 
city, which no white man had seen before the year 
1904. The city was built many hundred years ago. 
It is situated on the slope of a mountain and is sur¬ 
rounded by fine gardens. A broad street, used for pro¬ 
cessions, extends around the city. In the center of 
Lassa is a great Buddhist temple. 

Some of the people of Tibet are nomadic; that is, 
they move from place to place in search of good pasture 
for their flocks and herds. These people live in tents 
made of the skin of the yak. Tea, in the form of bricks, 
is Commonly used as money. 

We can tell to what class a man in Tibet belongs by 
the color of his garments. White is the color worn by 
the common people. The wealthy dress in red. The 
officials dress in yellow, while blue is worn by the 
soldiers. 

China proper, or, as it is sometimes called, “The 
Middle Kingdom/’ is the eastern part of the country. 
Much of it is a level, fertile plain. Here all of the 
large cities of China are located, and the country is 
very densely populated. 

Two great rivers drain the broad plain of China — the 
Hoangho and the Yangtse. Hoang means yellow, and ho 


THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


115 



is a Chinese word for river. There is a great deal of yel¬ 
low clay in the basin, and this has given the name to the 
river and to the 


sea into which 
it once flowed. 

Like the Mis¬ 
sissippi, the 
Hoangho is 
subject to floods. 
The river has 
several times 
changed its 
channel, wash¬ 
ing away fertile 
farms and the 
homes of the peo¬ 
ple. So much 
damage has been 
done by this 
river that it is 
often called the 
“Sorrow of 


China. Be- Photo by Hoag 

p x1 , Fig. 54. Cargo junks on Yangtse River 

cause of the great * 

amount of sediment deposited in the channel from time 

to time, the Hoangho is not veiy navigable, and the 

bed of the stream is higher than the land on either side. 







116 


ASIA 



Sawing timbers in Hong Kong 
















THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


117 


The Yangtse, which is the great river of China, 
flows through a populous section in its middle and lower 
courses. On its banks are many large cities. The 
river is navigable for about two thousand miles, and 
large numbers of steamships pass up to the city of 
Hankow. 

Between the Hoangho and the Yangtse rivers are 
the Peling Mountains. To the north of these moun¬ 
tains the climate is cooler and drier than it is to the 
south, and therefore the products differ. This led to 
trade between the two districts many centuries ago. 

There is little mining and little manufacturing in 
China. Most of the people are engaged in agriculture. 
The farms are so small that in our country they would 
be called gardens. As the population is so dense, steep 
hillsides are terraced and cultivated. In some cases 
soil from the valleys is carried up for thi^ purpose. 

Much of the work is done by hand. Grain is com¬ 
monly pulled by hand, or cut by means of sickles. 
Threshing is often done on the ground, as it is in the 
Holy Land. Agriculture is regarded as the most hon¬ 
orable of occupations. The ruler has always shown 
his respect for agriculture by plowing a furrow at the 
beginning of each season, while in Peking there is a 
building called the Temple of Agriculture. 

China extends as far south as the southern end of 
Cuba, and as far north as the northern end of New- 


118 


A SI A 


foundland. There are therefore great differences be¬ 
tween the climates of the different sections. Because 
of this, the crops in the north differ from those in the 
south. On the lowlands of the south rice, sugar, 
cotton, and oranges are grown. On the higher lands 
tobacco, opium, tea, and silk are produced. In the 



Photo by Hoag 


Fig. 56. Temple of Agriculture, Peking, China 

northern part wheat, millet, hemp, and beans are cul¬ 
tivated. The chief foods of the Chinese are rice and 
fish. Many millions of people are engaged in fishing. 

Long ago there were extensive forests in China, but 
most of the timber has been cut. In many parts of the 
country there are very few trees left. Because of the 
removal of the timber from the hillsides, the streams 
have cut countless gullies and ravines, and have washed 






THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


119 



away much valuable soil. The vegetation formerly 
prevented the water from running rapidly from the 
slopes, and therefore the streams flowed throughout the 
entire year. Now the water flows from the hills very 
quickly after rains, and the land is not kept moist. 


Photo by Hamilton 

Fig. 57. A house in the country 

So scarce has timber become that it is difficult for 
people to obtain fuel. Stubble and weeds are dried 
and used for this purpose. In the fuel yards bundles 
of these materials, as well as faggots, are sold. Bamboo 
is grown very extensively, and is used for many pur¬ 
poses. 




120 


ASIA 



Perhaps you are wondering why the Chinese do not 
burn coal. China has vast deposits of this useful min¬ 
eral, but little attention has been paid to mining it. 
One reason for this is that the Chinese change their 
customs very slowly. Railroads are few, and coal 


Photo by Hamilton 

Fig. 58. A Chinese cart 

cannot be readily transported without the use of rail¬ 
roads. Of course some coal is used in the larger cities. 
In the autumn hundreds of camels enter Peking daily, 
bringing coal for winter use from the mines about fifteen 
miles north of the capital. In addition to coal, China 
has gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, and sulphur. 





THE EE PUB LIC OF CHINA 


121 



Horses are not common in China, and therefore there 
are comparatively few wagon roads. In the northern 
part of the country a clumsy two-wheeled cart is used. 
As these carts have neither springs nor seats you may 
be sure that riding in them is not very pleasant. The 


Photo by Hamilton 

Fig. 59. A sedan chair 

people of China used just such carts as these three 
thousand years ago. 

Even in the cities the means of 'transportation are 
poor. In most cases the streets are but a few feet 
wide, and it would not be possible to use such vehicles 
as are found in the cities of the United States. Street 











122 


ASIA 


cars, omnibuses, cabs, automobiles, and express wagons 
are seldom seen. 

It seems strange to talk of riding in a chair, but this 
is a very common method of traveling in China. There 
are various forms of sedan chairs . They are usually 



Fig. 60. A camel train 


made of bamboo, and are sometimes placed upon a 
platform to the ends of which poles are attached. The 
chair is inclosed by walls and a roof of cloth. The 
front is left open. There is a small window at either 
side, but this may be curtained. The chair is carried 
by two or more men, who grasp the ends of the poles. 





THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


123 


The mule litter is another common mode of travel. 
This is a boxlike affair large enough to hold a person. 
At either end there are two poles, and these rest upon the 
back of a mule. The litter is very unsteady in motion, 
and becomes tiresome after an hour or two. 

In northern China many camel trains are employed. 
Coal, tea, and other commodities are transported by 
this means. The camel caravans usually travel by 
night, as mules and horses are afraid of them. 

Now down a narrow street we hear a most dismal 
squeaking. As the sound draws nearer we see that it 
is produced by a wheelbarrow. On either side of the 
wheel a man is calmly sitting upon a little platform. 
In southern China there are thousands of men who 
push passenger wheelbarrows. Imagine going shopping, 
sight-seeing, or calling in a wheelbarrow ! 

The wheelbarrows are used for freight as well as for 
passengers. Often in the narrow, winding roads we 
see still narrower pavements made of brick or stone. 
These pavements were made for the wheelbarrows. A 
man will push a load of from one hundred to five hun¬ 
dred pounds. Goods are often carried for quite long 
distances in this way. The men usually travel in com¬ 
panies, for by so doing they can help one another, and 
also guard against robbers. 

Across the low, flat plain of China a great many 
canals have been dug, thus connecting the various 


124 


ASIA 


rivers. Some of these canals are short, and some are 
very long. Much of the trade of the country is carried 
on by means of these canals. They are also very val¬ 
uable because the people raise fish, ducks, and bulbs, 
and do much laundry work in them. Many houses 



Photo by Hamilton 

Fig. 61. A wheelbarrow used for carrying freight and passengers 


are built on both sides of these canals, just as houses 
in our country are built on both sides of the streets. 

The longest of the Chinese canals, and in fact the 
longest canal in the world, is the Grand Canal. It is 
more than six hundred miles in length, and was dug 
some twelve hundred years ago. This canal connects 




THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


125 



the two great rivers of China, and extends from Hang¬ 
chow to Peking. The Grand Canal is not of so much 
value as it used to be, because now many ships go to and 
fro upon the rivers, and some railroads have been built. 

China is shut off from the rest of the world by the 


Fig. 62. A Chinese village 

Pacific Ocean on the east and mountains and plateaus 
on other sides. There was for ages little communi¬ 
cation between the people of China and those of other 
nations. It was therefore quite natural for the 
Chinese to speak of their land as the land, and them¬ 
selves as the people of the world. Since they regarded 
themselves as being so important, they changed their 




126 


ASIA 



customs veiy little. As you have been told, they have 
had schools for a long time, and written language 
changes slowly. These are some of the reasons why 
China is so backward to-day, although she was once in 
advance of her neighbors. 

China is now attracting the attention of the whole 
world. For many centuries she has been an empire, 


Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 63. Canal in Canton, China 

but toward the close of the year 1911 the people pro¬ 
claimed their country a republic, and they are now 
governed by a president whose name is Yun Shi Kai. 
The Chinese president appears to be a very able man. 
In a speech made on April 29, 1912, he advised establish¬ 
ing a uniform system of currency, and a standard of 
weights and measures. He alsb recommended the ap- 



THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


127 


pointment of ministers of forestry, industry, and com¬ 
merce, and advised that there be absolute religious 
liberty. This is a wonderful step for the Chinese 
people to take. Some think that the republic will 
not long endure. 

The Chinese are industrious, patient, and studious. 
Many of the progressive men of the country have been 
educated in the United States, and therefore know 
something of a republican form of government. If she 
is permitted to develop in her own way, China will, in 
time, take her place as one of the foremost nations of 
the world. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes said of China: — 

“ Brothers, whom we may not reach 
Through the veil of alien speech, 

Welcome ! welcome ! eyes can tell 
What the lips in vain would spell, — 

Words that hearts can understand, 

Brothers from the Flowery Land ! 

“ We, the evening’s latest born, 

Hail the children of the morn ! 

We, the new creation’s birth, 

Greet the lords of ancient earth, 

From their storied walls and tovers 
Wandering to these tents of ours ! 

“Land of wonders, fair Cathay, 

Who long hast shunned the staring day, 


128 


ASIA 


Hid in mists of poet’s dreams 
By thy blue and yellow streams, — 

Let us thy shadowed form behold, — 
Teach us as thou didst of old. 

“ Knowledge dwells with length of days; 
Wisdom walks in ancient ways; 

Thine the compass that could guide 
A nation o’er the stormy tide, 

Scourged by passions, doubts, and fears, 
Safe through thrice a thousand years ! 

“ Looking from thy turrets gray, 

Thou hast seen the worlds decay: 

Egypt drowning in her sands, — 

Athens rent by robber’s hands, — 

Rome, the wild barbarian’s prey, 

Like a storm cloud swept away. 


“ Looking from thy turrets gray, 

Still we see thee. Where are they ? 
And lo ! a new-born nation waits, 
Sitting at the Golden Gates 
That glitter by the sunset sea, — 
Waits with outspread arms for thee ! 


“Open wide, ye gates of gold, 

To the Dragon’s banner fold ! 
Builders of the mighty wall, 

Bid your mountain barriers fall! 
So may the girdle of the sun 
Bind the East and West in one, 


THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 


129 


“Till Mount Shasta’s breezes fan 
The snowy peaks of Ta-Sieue-Shan, — 
Till Erie blends its waters blue 
With the waves of Tung-Ting-Hu, — 
Till deep Missouri lends its flow 
To swell the rushing Hoangho !” 


CHAPTER XIII 


CHINESE TEA GARDENS 

One of the ancient industries of the ancient land 
of China is the production of tea. The Chinese have 
cultivated the plant for four thousand years, but for 
centuries they used tea as a medicine and not as a 
beverage. About one hundred years before the Boston 
Tea Party occurred, tea was introduced into Europe, 
and later it found its way to our country. 

Tea is now a common drink in most countries, but 
it is produced in few parts of the world. This is be¬ 
cause {he plant requires a warm, moist climate, and 
also a great deal of care. A very large part of the 
world’s supply of tea is grown in China, but more 
is now exported from India and Ceylon than from 
China. Considerable tea is grown in Japan and 
Formosa, and a little in the United States. 

In China, as you have seen, the population is very 
dense, and therefore the farms are small. In fact, we 
may properly speak of them as gardens. The tea 
farmer spades his ground, for he does not own a horse, 
and then plants the seeds of the tea plant. Land 
sloping to the south is often selected, as this is a little 
130 


CHINESE TEA GARDENS 


181 


warmer than land sloping in any other direction. In 
about three years after planting, the first crop of 
leaves can be gathered. In China they are usually 
picked four times each year, and the trees continue 
to yield for twenty-five or thirty years. 

You would hardly call these plants trees, for they 
are only five or six feet in height. The tea grower 
says that if they were not kept pruned, the trees would 
reach a height of twenty-five feet. It is much less 
expensive to pick the leaves from low than from tall 
plants, and, moreover, the tea is better in quality. 

Women as well as men gather the tea leaves. It is 
quite common for the pickers to carry baskets slung 
over their shoulders, and in these baskets the leaves 
are placed. As there is much juice or sap in the leaves, 
the first process after picking is that of drying them. 
For this purpose the tea is placed upon bamboo trays, 
and dried in the sunshine or by means of artificial 
heat. While the leaves are drying they are stirred 
at intervals, so that they may diy. evenly and 
quickly. 

Next, we observe that the workmen place the par¬ 
tially dried leaves in metal pans over charcoal fires. 
During this process, which is known as “firing,” the 
leaves are rolled by hand. It is this rolling that gives 
the tea leaves the twisted appearance that you have 
observed. 


132 


ASIA 



Fig. 64. Carrying tea in China 








CHINESE TEA GARDENS 


138 


We are surprised to learn that green and black tea 
are not really different varieties. They may be pro¬ 
duced from the very same plant. If the leaves are 
dried rapidly, they will retain their green color, but 
if they are dried slowly, and chiefly by the heat of 
the sun, the leaves turn black. The very finest quality 
of tea is produced from the bud at the end of the 
shoot. This tea is not commonly exported, and it is 
said that the leaves of the rose, ash, plum, and buck¬ 
thorn are sometimes mixed with those of the tea 
plant. 

The Chinese call the houses where tea is cured and 
packed, tea-hongs. Visiting one of these we see several 
workmen rolling and tossing bags about the size of 
footballs. Each bag is partly filled with tea leaves, 
and this is one method of drying. The leaves are 
rolled and twisted by this process, producing the 
variety known as gunpowder tea. We also see in the 
hong a man whose business it is to taste or sip tea 
from tiny cups, so that he may grade it and fix its 
price. The men who do this work are known as 
tasters. 

As transportation by water has a bad effect upon 
tea, the finest grades are commonly shipped by land. 
Tea that is to be shipped across the ocean is placed 
in boxes lined with sheet lead in order to protect it. 
Hankau is the greatest tea market in China. Most 


134 


ASIA 


of the tea shipped to the United States lands at San 
Francisco. 

The Russians are great tea drinkers, and they im¬ 
port large quantities of tea from China. Some of this 
is shipped by the Siberian Railroad, and some of it 
is carried over the mountains and across the deserts 
on the backs of camels. Great quantities of broken 
tea leaves are steamed in cotton bags and then pressed 
in molds into the shape of bricks. These bricks are 
sometimes a foot in length and are worth several dol¬ 
lars each. Much of this tea, known as brick tea, is 
purchased by Russia. In the western part of the 
Chinese Empire these bricks pass as money. 

The greater part of China’s immense output of tea 
comes from gardens. The work of preparing the 
ground, cultivating the plants, picking, curing, and 
packing the tea, is nearly all done by hand. The use 
of machinery and of more scientific methods in India 
and Ceylon have led to an increase in the quantity 
and an improvement in the quality of the tea grown 
there. 

You may be surprised to learn that some tea is now 
produced in the United States. About one hundred 
years ago a French botanist planted some tea near 
Charleston, South Carolina. Little by little the in¬ 
dustry has grown until now the “Pinehurst” tea gar¬ 
dens, as they are called, consist of about one hun- 


CHINESE TEA GARDENS 


135 



dred acres. The industry is carried on in the most 
scientific manner, and several tons of tea are produced 
each year. While this is a very small amount, the 


Fig. 65. Picking Tea, “Pinehurst, ” South Carolina 

output will probably increase. We are not willing 
to work for as low wages as are the Chinese, and there¬ 
fore our tea gardens may never be as extensive as 
those of China. 






CHAPTER XIV 


SOME CHINESE CITIES 

Canton. — In China there are many great cities. 
Of some of them so little is known that you have never 
seen their names in your geography. The most pop¬ 
ulous of the cities of China is Canton, situated upon 
the north bank of the Chu-kiang or Pearl River, not 
veiy far from the sea. In Chinese Chu means pearl, 
and kiang river. 

As our ship approaches the city we see that there 
are hundreds and probably thousands of covered 
boats in the river. These boats are the homes of people 
too poor to own land, or to rent houses. Thousands 
of people spend most of their lives upon these house¬ 
boats. Many of the boats serve as stores and shops, 
so that the river population can do business without 
going to the land. 

The Chinese way of living is so different from that 
of Americans and Europeans that foreign residents 
in China have to themselves the part of the city in 
which they live. This area is often called a conces¬ 
sion. In Canton the foreign concession is on a small 
island in the river. Two bridges connect it with the 
136 


SOME CHINESE CITIES 


137 


mainland, but Chinamen are not permitted to cross 
these and enter the foreign quarter without a pass. 
This island belongs to the English and the French. 
In this part of Canton are found broad, clean streets, 
parks, churches, banks, fine business houses, and com¬ 
fortable homes with lawns and gardens. 



Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 66. River scene, Canton 


Crossing one of the bridges and entering the native 
city we find ourselves in a different world. Like most 
Chinese cities Canton is walled. Its streets are, in 
many cases, not more than six feet in width. Of course 
no cars, wagons, or carriages can be used. Two sedan 
chairs, or two wheelbarrows, can pass each other only 
with difficulty. There is almost constant shouting as the 
people crowd one another in these narrow passageways. 

As we mingle with the throng we observe that most 
of the shops have their fronts open to the street in- 



> -■ 1 “ || 








Photo by Howell 

Fig. 67, A pagoda and part of old wall at Canton (138) 





SOME CHINESE CITIES 


139 



Photo by Howell 

Fig. 68. A street scene. Observe the signs 




140 


ASIA 


stead of having doors or windows. At night the fronts 
are put in. We see jewelry, silks, satins, fans, furs, 
vases, porcelain, ivory and jade work, and other things 
displayed. The signs interest us because they hang 
vertically. They are generally red, blue, green, or 
white. You remember that the Chinese write in 
vertical instead of in horizontal lines. 

Looking above us we see that mats stretch from 
house to house over the narrowest streets. This 
keeps both sunshine and rain from the people who 
walk in them. Public story tellers, letter writers, 
acrobats, musicians, and traveling barbers all do 
business in the streets. There is such a tangle of 
houses and crooked streets that it is not safe for a 
stranger to wander about the city without a guide. 
Although the city is of great interest to us, it is un¬ 
pleasant because it is so dirty. 

Shanghai. — Another of the great cities of China is 
Shanghai, situated on the west bank of the Whangpoo 
River and about twenty-five miles from the mouth of 
the Yangtse River. It is about as far south as Mobile, 
Alabama. Its position with reference to the river, 
the sea, and the great plain makes Shanghai the most 
important commercial center of China. There are 
many steamships upon the river, and these are operated 
by means of the coal found near at hand. 

In Shanghai there are cotton mills, for considerable 


SOME CHINESE CITIES 


141 



Fig. 69. A mandarin’s garden in Shanghai 









142 


ASIA 


cotton is grown in the vicinity. The coal and the 
cheap labor help to make the manufacture of the 
cotton goods profitable. The city exports much tea 
and silk. The fertile region lying about Shanghai is 
sometimes called the “ Garden of China/’ As the 
land is almost perfectly level, canals from all direc¬ 
tions enter the city, thus affording cheap transporta¬ 
tion of goods. 

As in Canton, the native quarter is dirty and has 
narrow, crowded streets. The foreign quarter is clean, 
and has street cars. A telegraph line connects the 
city with Peking. 

Peking. — On a sandy plain, in the latitude of 
Philadelphia, is situated Peking, the capital of the 
Republic of China. Pei means north , and king is 
the Chinese for capital or residence. Formerly Peking 
was the northern residence of the rulers, and Nanking 
the southern capital, or residence. Tientsin, the 
port of Peking, is about eighty miles distant, and the 
cities are connected by means of a railroad. 

Americans who have spent years in the Chinese 
capital consider its climate very delightful. The 
rainy season occurs in the late summer and early 
autumn. The winters are cold and bracing. In the 
spring much dust is blown into the city from the 
desert of Gobi. 

Peking is surrounded by a great wall through 


SOME CHINESE CITIES 


143 


which there are several gates. The gate towers may 
be seen for miles. At night the gates are closed and 
locked. You can scarcely imagine a city in our coun¬ 
try being locked up at night. The top of the wall is 
broad, and forms a clean and pleasant walk. Natives 
are not permitted to walk upon the wall, but this privi¬ 
lege is extended to foreigners. 



Photo by Hoag 


Fig. 70. Where American troops camped during the Boxer rebellion 

The southern part of Peking is known as the Chi¬ 
nese City, and the northern part as the Tatar City. 
Within the Tatar City is the Imperial City, and 
within this, the Forbidden City. It was given this 
name because foreigners were not allowed to enter it. 
Most of the business is carried on in the Chinese City. 
Here are found the wholesale houses, the Chinese 








144 


ASIA 



clubs and theatres. The streets are narrow and very 
poorly lighted, and in the homes there are few conven- 

The 


lences. 

Tatar City has 
broad streets, 
and here are 
found the court 
and the lega¬ 
tions. 

Walking 
through the 
streets of the 
capital we see 
many interest-, 
ing things. Per¬ 
haps, instead of 
walking, we ride 
in a sedan chair. 
Here is a bird 
trainer with a 
crowd about 
him. His birds 
will fly from 
him, and, re¬ 
turning, will perch upon the thumb, wrist, or shoulder 
of the trainer. Other men are flying kites in the streets. 
Some are practicing archery, and others baking goodies 


Fig. 71. Temple of Heaven, Peking 






SOME CHINESE CITIES 


145 


for any who may purchase. Acrobats and jug¬ 
glers are performing wonderful tricks before admiring 
audiences. 

We see comparatively few women upon the streets 
of this great city, for they do not have the freedom 
that American and European women have. Their 
condition is improving, however. There is, in Peking, 
a women’s daily paper, published by women. 

Here comes a wedding procession. At the head is 
carried a baked pig, or perhaps a large piece of pork. 
It is hoped that this will attract the attention of the 
evil spirits so that they will allow the bride to pass in 
safety. The bride is borne in a red sedan chair, and 
is locked in. One of the friends of the groom carries 
the key. Musicians who make most doleful music 
are in the procession. 

-.As the bride approaches the home of the man who 
is to be her husband, many firecrackers are exploded. 
The groom comes out of the house, and assists the 
bride from the sedan chair. Each sips a cup of 
wine, and the groom then leads the bride into the 
house. The assembled friends then feast and make 
merry. 

About two miles north of Peking i£ a wonderful 
bell, which was made before Columbus discovered 
America. It is said to be the largest suspended bell 
in the world. It weighs sixty tons, and ‘is thirty-four 


146 


ASIA 


feet in circumference at the rim. Superstitious people 
throw coins at the top of the bell, and if they drop 
through the hole where the tongue should be, it is 
believed that any wish expressed when the coin is 
thrown will be granted. 


CHAPTER XV 


DAILY LIFE IN CHINA 

Little Wang is the son of a Chinese merchant. His 
home is in Peking. The members of the family live 
in rooms behind the store or shop. There are several 
clerks in the store, and most of them are relatives of 
Wang’s father. When Wang is a few years older, he 
will take his place in the store. 

This shop is frequently visited by Americans and 
Europeans, for it is one in which curios, silks, fans, 
jewelry, and such things are sold. When a customer 
enters, tea is served before any business is done. Usually 
a good deal of bargaining is necessary before a sale is 
made. Europeans are generally charged a higher price 
for a given article than are Chinese people. When a 
purchase has been completed, payment is made in 
Mexican dollars, or, perhaps, by cutting a piece of 
silver from a bar of that metal and weighing it. 

Would you like to take dinner with Wang? You 
will find it very different from a dinnef such as would 
be served in your own home. There are many courses, 
but most of the dishes are unfamiliar to you, and you 
may not like the cooking. These are some of the 
147 


148 


ASIA 


dishes served: peanuts fried in oil, watermelon seeds, 
uncooked eggs, cold salted chicken, tender shoots of 
the bamboo, fish and gravy. Soup is the last course 
served. After the meal, tea is passed. You look in 
vain for a knife and fork and for spoons. These 
sticks of ebony, about eight inches long, square at one 
end, and round at the other, take the place of knives, 
forks, and spoons. They are called chopsticks. The 
round ends are grasped and the food carried on the 
square ends. After the meal, wet napkins are passed 
around so that the lips and the fingers may be washed. 
Wang eats with his mother and sisters, for in China 
the men and women do not eat together. 

The furniture in Wang’s home is not like that in 
yours. Much of it is of bamboo, because, as you have 
been told, wood is very scarce. In the homes of the 
wealthy, however, there are costly pieces of furniture. 
The beds are of wood, but have no mattresses. No 
stoves, such as those with which you are familiar, are 
found in the house. There are small braziers in which 
charcoal is burned, which serve for boiling water for 
tea. 

In one end of the kitchen is a large box of brick or 
stone partly filled with sand. This is called the kang, 
and it serves the purpose of a stove. Grass, faggots, 
or charcoal are burned in it. During cold weather the 
members of the family sleep on the kang. 


DA TL ) 


life tn 


CHINA 


149 



Fig. 72. Chinese 'costumes 







150 


ASIA 


The people of China depend more upon extra clothing 
than upon a fire for warmth. When it is real cold, an 
extra suit of clothing is worn. You think Wang’s 
clothes odd, but he thinks yours are equally so. He 
wears a kind of loose jacket that reaches a little below 
his waist. This is of pink cotton. His trousers are 
blue and are tied at the ankles. He wears white stock¬ 
ings and flat shoes that have soles of wood, to which an 
upper sole of felt is fastened. The low cloth uppers 
are decorated with red and green. On his head he wears 
a round black hat without any rim. 

The men and the women dress very much alike in 
China. The woman’s jacket or tunic is longer than the 
man’s. Chinese women seldom wear hats, but they 
carry fans or parasols to keep off the sunshine. Gloves 
are never worn. When it is cold, the hands are protected 
by the long sleeves of the jackets. Sometimes tiny 
stoves are carried in the sleeves. Chinese children are 
dressed like their parents. 

Wang’s father keeps several servants, for wages are 
very low in China. The servants do all of the buying 
for the household, and they keep a small commission 
for themselves. This is known as the squeeze. When 
the servants go to purchase food, or anything else in 
small amounts, they carry a string of coins called cash. 
Cash coins are made of copper. They are round, and 
have a square hole in the center so that they can be 


DAILY LIFE IN CHINA 


151 


carried on a string or a wire. The value of a cash varies, 
but probably on the average it is not worth more than 
one tenth of a cent in our money. A string of cash 
called a “tias” consists of one thousand pieces. This 
weighs several pounds and yet is worth less than a dol¬ 
lar in our money. Here is a table of Chinese currency. 

10 cash = 1 fun 
10 fun = 1 tsien 
10 tsien = 1 tael 

While the value of a tael varies at different times and 
in different parts of the republic, it is usually between 
sixty and seventy cents in our money. 

Vegetables, eggs, and wood are sold by weight, and 
this is a very fair method. It is beginning to be em¬ 
ployed in our country. A poor Chinaman, and most of 
the people of China are poor, buys in very small quan¬ 
tities. It is not uncommon to purchase a single potato, 
the leg or wing of a chicken, or fish or rice to the amount 
of a single cash. 

China has had schools for several thousand years, and 
Wang is sent to school. His sister Scherza does not go, 
as it is not considered necessary for Chinese girls to be 
educated. Chinese letters appear quite different from 
ours. They do not represent sounds as' ours do, but 
ideas. Wang will have to learn four or five thousand 
of these characters instead of twenty-six as you do. 
When Wang names the points of the compass, 


152 


ASIA 



Fig. 73. Chinese family engaged in ancestor w 












DAILY LIFE IN CHINA 


153 


he says pei, nan ; tung, si, instead of north, south, 
east, west. 

On opening a Chinese book, we find that the leaves 
are printed on one side only. The printing is in columns, 
and it is read from top to bottom and from right to 
left. There is a great deal of noise in a Chinese school, 
for the pupils study aloud. When reciting, they turn 
their backs upon the teacher. In writing a letter the 
year is given first; as, Peking, China, 1912, July 4th. 

Wang's teacher has very long finger nails. In fact, 
they are nearly as long as his fingers. This indicates 
that he does not labor with his hands. Ladies of the 
upper class follow the same custom. Partly on this 
account it is not customary to shake hands in China. 
The Chinaman shakes his own hand instead of that of 
his friend. To protect the finger nails, cases of gold 
or silver are worn. 

In China, children, and grown persons, reverence their 
parents and ancestors. This custom is spoken of as 
ancestor worship. This is one reason why the customs 
of the country change so slowly. The people believe 
that what was good enough for their ancestors is 
good enough for them. 

Nearly all objects in China have a meaning. The 
blossoms of the oleander and the peach mean “long 
life.” The pomegranate stands for many children, 
and the dragon for power. A bat means happiness. 


154 


ASIA 



Because of this symbolism, presents have a special 
significance. 

Wang and his sister Scherza like to watch the travel¬ 
ing barbers work. They carry a charcoal stove, a 


Fig. 74. A scene in a Chinese Court 

basin and towels, besides a box in which are their tools. 
The Chinese barber is often a dentist and a surgeon 
as well. There are also many fortune tellers and many 
cobblers in the streets. 





CHAPTER XVI 


THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN 

Japan, like China, is a very old nation, and yet 
seventy-five years ago very little was known of the 
country or of its people. This was because Japan did 
not come into touch with the people of other nations. 
Her ports were not open to commerce. Her people 
did not visit other lands, and she did not welcome the 
people of other lands to her shores. 

In 1868 Japan opened her ports to the world, and 
almost immediately she began to advance rapidly. 
Some of her most highly educated men were sent to 
study in foreign countries, and in every way the people 
worked for the progress of their land. Japan is now 
one of the foremost nations of the world. 

A narrow, but stormy sea separates Japan from 
China. As in the case of the British Isles this separa¬ 
tion has left the people free to develop in their own way 
to a certain extent. Just as the British Isles were at the 
western limit of the world as it was kndwn before the 
discovery of America, so the Japanese islands were 
thought by their inhabitants to be at the eastern edge 
of the world. The Japanese called their country the 
155 


156 


ASIA 


Land of the Rising Sun. Their flag symbolizes this, for 
it is a red circle on a white field. 

The empire of Japan consists of several thousand 
islands, nearly all of which are merely rocks that rise 
above the water. A dozen or more are inhabited, but 
only five are very important. The area of the empire 
is almost exactly the same as that of California, and 



Photo by Hoag 


Fig. 75. A rural scene near Nikko, Japan 

about three times that of Pennsylvania. So dense is 
the population in Japan that she has about seventeen 
times as many people as California has, and seven times 
as many as live in Pennsylvania. 

In Japan there are many volcanoes, and earthquake 
shocks are frequent. It is partly because of the fre¬ 
quency of earthquakes that the houses are commonly 



THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN 


157 


built of bamboo. Such houses are not damaged by 
shocks as buildings of stone, wood, or brick would be, 
and if destroyed, it is not costly to rebuild them. 
Some of the greatest authorities on earthquakes are 
Japanese scientists. 

One of the most beautiful mountains in Japan is 
Fujiyama, or, as it is sometimes called, Fuji San. It 
is a volcanic cone rising 12,365 feet above the level of 
the sea. The upper part of the mountain is snow¬ 
capped in the summer as well as in the winter. To the 
Japanese this is a sacred mountain, and it is quite a 
common thing to make a pilgrimage to it. You have 
often seen pictures of Fujiyama on Japanese articles. 

. Fujiyama 

“When God’s creative purpose spoke 
Fair Nippon to adorn, 

Responsive Nature heard the word, 

And Fuji San was born. 

“To palace of the emperor, 

To hut of mountaineer, 

The image of our Fuji San 

Brings comfort and good cheer.” 

The Japanese islands extend from the latitude of 
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to that of Havana, Cuba. It 
follows from this that there is much difference between 
the climate of the north and that of the south. In 


158 


ASIA 


Sakhalin and Yezo the winters are long and cold, while 
in Formosa the climate is tropical. As the prevailing 
winds blow from the continent to Japan, the climate 
of the latter is colder in winter and warmer in summer 
than it would otherwise be. 

During the late summer and the early autumn 
typhoons sometimes sweep over Japan. In our coun¬ 
try we call storms of this kind hurricanes. They are 
occasionally very destructive, not only through the 
action of the wind itself, but also because the wind 
creates great ocean waves, which roll in upon the 
land. 

Unlike China and India, Japan has no deserts. The 
rainfall is plentiful, and therefore the mountains are 
forested. The government has established a forestry 
service, which does much for the protection of the 
timber. * The grass in Japan does not afford good pas¬ 
turage, and therefore dairy products have never been 
important in the country. 

As the interior is mountainous, most of the cultivated 
land is near the coast. The lowlands are very care¬ 
fully tilled by the industrious people. In Japan, as 
in China, farms are very small, more than one half of 
them consisting of less than two acres each, while few 
have as many as forty acres each. On such small 
farms machinery cannot be used to advantage, and 
most of the work is done by hand. Ponies and water 



Fig. 76. Terraced rice field in Japan 








160 


ASIA 



Fig. 77. Japanese coolie carrying rice straw 





THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN 


161 


buffaloes are used, but it is not uncommon to see 
a man and a woman- pulling a plow. 

Rice is cut by means of sickles, and is then hung 
across bamboo poles to dry. It is usually threshed 
by hand. Rice straw is very useful, being made into 
sandals, raincoats, hats, mats, ropes, and baskets. Rice 
is the staple article of food in Japan, and large quan¬ 
tities of it are grown, but not enough to supply the 
demand. Tea and cotton are other important farm 
crops. 

In the warmer parts of Japan the mulberry tree 
flourishes, and much attention is given to the pro¬ 
duction of silk. As the work of rearing the silkworms 
is light, much of it is done by women and girls. The 
government of Japan has established agricultural 
schools and experimentarfarms, and great attention is 
given to scientific farming. 

Japan is one of the foremost nations of the world 
in the fishing industry. This is partly a matter of 
necessity, for the land is too small to supply its large 
population with food. It is also partly due to the fact 
that most of the people live near the sea, and to the 
abundance of fish that frequent the cold waters of a 
southward-flowing ocean current. Oiie person out of 
every sixteen is engaged in some form of the fishing 
industry, while in the United States only one person 
out of every five hundred is so employed. To-day the 


162 


ASIA 



Fig. 78 . Winter supply of vegetables near Kyoto 







THE LAND OF THE El SING SUN 


163 



Fig. 79. Feeding the silkworms 







164 


ASIA 



Japanese are being specially trained for this industry 
in schools established by the government. 

Fish constitute one of the most important articles 


Copyrighted, by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 80. Japanese fishermen 

of food in Japan. It is eaten raw as well as cooked. 
Many kinds of fish of which we make no use are eaten 
by the Japanese. The chief kinds of fish caught off 
the coast of Japan are herring, sardines, mackerel, 







THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN 


165 


yellowtail, salmon, and bonita. Some kinds of sea¬ 
weed are eaten, and other kinds are used in other 
ways. Men, women, and children search the beach 
at low tide, gathering up everything that can be used 
in any way. 

A very interesting form of fishing is carried on 
through the help of trained birds called cormorants. 
This method of fishing is at least one thousand years old. 
In each boat are men who row, and one or more who 
attend to the birds. A man may handle four, or even 
a larger number of cormorants. 

When not actually fishing, the birds are kept in 
cagelike boxes. One end of a long cord is fastened 
to each cormorant, and the other end is held by the 
keeper. A cord is tied about the neck of each bird 
in such a way as to prevent it from swallowing the 
fish that it catches. The birds swim in all directions, 
diving and catching the fish, and they are then drawn 
to the boats by their owners. This method of fishing 
is carried on in the streams. Sometimes the fishing is 
done at night, a small fire in an iron box furnishing 
the light. 

There is considerable mineral wealth in Japan, and 
this is of great advantage in manufacturing. Coal 
is found in all of the large islands, and both coal and 
copper are exported. In addition to these minerals, 
silver, lead, petroleum, salt, and sulphur are produced. 


% *+*<**+* 


1(36 


A ST A 



Fig. 81. Bronze dragon fountain near Kyoto 




THE LANE OF THE RISING SUN 


167 


Some sulphur is used in the manufacture of matches, 
and some is exported. 

A great deal of salt is obtained by evaporating sea¬ 
water. At high tide the water is carried by means 
of ditches to flat, sandy areas near the coast. Water 
from these ditches is sprinkled on piles of sand. The 
water evaporates and the salt is left. The sand is 
then washed, and the brine collected in vats. The 
salt is obtained by boiling the brine. 

Because of the industry, skill, and artistic taste of 
the people of Japan, they produce very beautiful 
handwork. They make excellent paper, some of 
which is used in place of leather. Matting, oilcloth, 
glass, porcelain, lacquered goods, fans, and metal 
work are made. 

In the cities manufacturing is now done by means 
of machinery. Cotton and silk goods are manufactured 
quite extensively at Ozaka and Kobe (koT>a) because 
these cities have water power, and in addition are 
close to coal. At Nagasaki shipbuilding is carried 
%i. In the future Japan must depend more and 
more upon manufacturing and commerce because the 
population is too large to be supported by agricul¬ 
ture. Abundant water power, coal, loV wages, and 
the skill of the workers help to make some lines of 
manufacturing very profitable. 

Railroad building has developed very rapidly in 


168 


A ST A 



8 

o 

tt! 

© 

© 


Fig. 82. A jinrikisha in Japan 






THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN 


169 


Japan, but there are still some primitive forms of 
transportation. Human beings carry much material 
which in our country is transported over wagon or 
railroads. A great deal of traveling is still done in 
the jinrikisha. 

The people of Japan are fond of flowers. Many 
cherry trees are cultivated simply for their beautiful 
blossoms, for they do not bear fruit. Azaleas, peonies, 
and irises abound. The roselike camellia has been 
cultivated for centuries in the warmer parts of the 
empire. The lavender and white blossoms of the 
wistaria droop from trees overhanging tiny ponds 
and artificial lakes. But particular attention is given 
to the cultivation of the chrysanthemum. Japan 
is often called the “Land of the Chrysanthemum.’ 7 
Some of the flowers are immense in size, and several 
varieties are sometimes grown upon the same plant. 
The chrysanthemum is the national flower. See if you 
can find it upon a Japanese postage stamp. 

Japan 

. “ Cradled and rocked in the Eastern seas 
The islands of the Japanese 
Beneath me lie; o’er lake and plain 
The stork, the heron, and the crane 
Through the clear realms of azure drift, 

And on the hillsides I can see 
The villages of Imarie, 


170 


ASIA 


Whose thronged and flaming workshops lift 
Their twisted columns of smoke on high, 

Cloud cloisters that in ruins lie, 

With sunshine streaming through each rift 
And broken arches of blue sky. 

“ All the bright flowers that fill the land, 

Ripple of waves on rock or sand, 

The snow on Fujiyama’s cone, 

The midnight heaven so thickly sown 
With constellations of bright stars, 

The leaves that rustle, the reeds that make 
A whisper by each stream and lake, 

The saffron dawn, the sunset red, 

Are painted on these lovely jars; 

Again the skylark sings, again 
The stork, the heron, and the crane 
Float through the azure overhead, 

The counterfeit and counterpart 
Of Nature reproduced in Art.” 

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 


CHAPTER XVII 


DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 

In many ways life in beautiful Japan is quite unlike 
life in our country. The houses in which the Japanese 
live are not like ours. The dress of the people is quite 
different from that seen in America. Their food 
differs from ours, and one of their common methods 
of traveling is unlike anything that we have. If you 
were visiting Japan, you would see many things that 
would interest you greatly. 

You have already learned that in Japan earth¬ 
quake shocks are frequent, and that, partly because 
of this, houses are usually constructed of bamboo. 
Probably you have seen fishing poles of bamboo, and 
you are wondering how a house could be built of such 
slender poles. In China and Japan bamboo grows to 
a thickness of five or six inches. Although light, it 
is very strong, but of course it could not be used in 
the construction of great buildings such as are found 
in our cities. 

When carpenters in our country are building a house 
of wood, they make a great deal of noise. The build- 
171 


172 


ASIA 


ing of an ordinary Japanese house is carried on quietly, 
as few nails are used. The Japanese carpenter uses 
corner posts of bamboo, and the roof, which is usually 
made on the ground, is then lifted up and placed upon 



Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

PhG. 83. A rural home in Japan 


the walls. Instead of being shingled, the roof is thatched 
with rice straw. The outside walls are made of bam¬ 
boo, and in the colder parts of the country they are 
plastered on both sides. Some of the better houses 




DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


173 


have clapboards on the outside. The floor is made of 
bamboo. 

A house in our country consists of a definite number 
of rooms, and it is said to be a house of four, or six, or 
ten rooms, as the case may be. In Japan a house 
may have four rooms to-day and eight rooms to-mor¬ 
row. This is because the partitions between the rooms 
are made of paper, and have wooden frames that slide 
in grooves in the ceiling and on the floor. When there 
is company, more partitions can be put in, and more 
rooms made. 

Mats and cushions take the place of carpets and 
chairs. There are no beds such as those with which 
you are familiar. During the day the bedding is 
kept in closets, and at night it is spread upon the 
floor. The floors in Japanese houses are covered with 
clean, white matting, and when people enter a house 
they remove their shoes. A shoe of cloth, something 
like our overshoes, is sometimes worn in the house. 
Usually a lantern is kept burning in each bedroom 
all night, because the people believe that it is un¬ 
lucky to sleep in the dark. The lantern is a square 
paper box, having a saucer of oil and a wick inside. 
These lanterns are often upset by earthquakes, and 
many fires are caused in this way. 

The people of Japan are wonderful gardeners. Be¬ 
hind each house there is, if possible, a garden. This 


174 


ASIA 


may b'e small, but it is sure to be very artistic. Here 
we shall find hills from which tiny streams flow into 
toylike lakes. There are islands, bridges, falls, foun- 



Fig. 84. A Japanese Garden 


tains, trees, flowers, pagodas, and statues. In April 
the pink and white flowers of the cherry trees make 
the gardens beautiful. In November the chrysanthe¬ 
mum, or, as the people of Japan call it, the “ kiku,” is 
in blossom. 





DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


175 


Instead of sitting down at a table when they eat, 
Japanese people sit upon cushions placed upon the 
floor. The tables are about six inches in height, and 
the dishes are very small. When a Japanese gen¬ 
tleman has gentlemen dining with him, the lady of 
the house does not eat with them unless there are 
lady guests present. 

In nearly all Japanese houses two gods of daily 
food are seen. One holds a fish under his left arm, and 
a fishing rod in his right hand. The other sits upon 
two bags of rice. This, of course, indicates that fish 
and rice are the two chief articles of food. On New 
Year’s Day it is quite customary to give a dried salmon 
as a present. Aside from fish, little animal food is 
eaten by the Japanese. This is in part because of 
religious beliefs, and in part because the people can¬ 
not afford to use land for pasturage. 

In Japan much cooking is done in public ovens. 
There are many of these in the large cities. The 
women prepare dishes at home, and then take them to 
a public stove to be cooked. This method is cheaper 
than doing the cooking at home. It is common to 
see live fish and eels kept in tanks in the restaurants. 
Customers may pick out a particular eel or fish and 
order it cooked. 

Hotels in Japan are called “tea houses.” Probably 
this is because tea is the universal drink. The rates 


176 


ASIA 



are posted so that one may know the price of room and 
meals without asking. Strangely enough the price 
varies according to the rank of the guest. When one 
visits a hotel in Japan, the proprietor and his servants 


Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 85. The dress of the Japanese 

come out to greet him. Tea and cakes are quickly 
served by a maid, and the guest is expected to give 
her a small sum of money called “tea money.” The 
waitress gives the guest 'a receipt for this. 



DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


177 


The people of Japan dress much as the Chinese do. 
They wear a loose outer garment having wide sleeves, 
which often serve as pockets. Laboring men usually 
wear hats that resemble shallow baskets turned up¬ 
side down. Raincoats of rice straw are commonly 
worn, as are sandals of the same material. Sandals 
cost less than one half cent per pair. In wet weather 
wooden shoes are worn. 

You know that in our country Indian mothers used 
to carry their babies upon their backs. Eskimo moth¬ 
ers do this to-day, and the practice is common in 
Japan, also. The little girls are trained to carry babies 
in this way, so that the mothers may have more time 
for work. A great deal of attention is given to children 
in Japan. When a boy is born, paper fish are fastened 
to poles above the house to announce the fact. When 
a baby is one hundred days old, there is a festival, and 
presents are given to the little one. It is then old 
enough to be carried on the back of an older sister. 
Boys and girls play together in the home until 
they are seven years of age, after which they are 
separated. 

Each year there are tw T o great children’s festivals 
in Japan, one for boys and one for girls. The 
boys’ festival occurs on the fifth day of May, and is 
called the “Feast of Flags.” Then flags and paper 
carp, large and small, flutter and twist from house- 


N 


178 


ASIA 


tops in every part of the empire. In some cases the 
fish are twenty feet in length. The mouth is left 
open, and as the paper body is inflated by the breeze, 
the fish appears very lifelike. The boys fly fish kites, 
also. The carp is a symbol of strength, and of course 
the Japanese parents desire their boys to be strong, 
manly, and brave. 

On the third day of March occurs the girls' festival, 
known as the “Feast of Dolls." Presents of various 
kinds are given to the girls on this occasion, but dolls 
are by far the most numerous. The dolls are spoken 
of as “ Honorable Dolls," and some of them are several 
centuries old. They are kept in doll houses that are 
furnished like houses for people. 

Children in the kindergarten and the primary school 
wear brass tags which show their names and residences. 
It is very easy for the police or any one who finds a 
lost child to return the little one to its home. All school 
children wear uniforms, which vary according to the 
grade of the child. You would think a Japanese book 
very odd, for what we call the last page is its first 
page. The lines in the books are vertical instead of 
horizontal. 

Although Japan has railroads, much traveling is 
still done by means of the jinrikisha. This is a small, 
two-wheeled cart. Jin is the Japanese word for “ man," 
riki means “power," and sha means “wheel." So 


DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


179 


you see, the word jinrikisha means man-power wheel 
or man-power carriage. 

One of these little carriages with a man to draw it 
may be hired at a cost of from eight to fifteen cents 
per hour, or from fifty to seventy-five cents per day. 
Some of the carts can accommodate but one passenger, 
while others can carry two. In some cases there are 
tops that can be raised and lowered. The jinrikishas 
are sometimes decorated with paintings of chrysan¬ 
themums or dragons. 

The jinrikisha man or kiki (kl'kl) generally travels 
at a trot, and if the roads are good, he can travel 
twenty miles in a day. The kikis who operate public 
jinrikishas are required to have a license, and upon 
their jackets are characters indicating their num¬ 
bers. On long journeys the rikisha man is usually 
changed about once every ten miles. Traveling by 
means of a jinrikisha is cheap, the cost for short trips 
being about two cents per mile. When a jinrikisha man 
is regularly employed, his wages amount to perhaps 
$2.50 per week. 

Japan has not yet very largely introduced manu¬ 
facturing by means of machinery, except in a few of 
the cities. Ozaka is the most important manufactur¬ 
ing center in the empire. Here cotton, silk, and woolen 
goods are made, for Ozaka has water power, and coal is 
within easy reach. 


180 


ASIA 



Household industries are still important in Japan, 
as they used to be in our country. The people are 
very skillful in making paper, matting, porcelain, 
lacquered and enameled goods, and many other 
things. 

There are some interesting differences between a 


Fig. 86. A view of Yokohama and its harbor 

city in Japan and a city in the United States. Most 
Japanese cities are rather quiet. Cars are not so nu¬ 
merous as they are in our cities, and there are fewer 
mills and factories pouring their clouds of smoke into 
the air. We do not find tall buildings such as are 
seen in all of our large cities. 

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is at the head of the 










DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


181 



bay of the same name, on both banks of the O-gana 
River. A fertile and highly cultivated plain surrounds 
the city. It has a noted university and beautiful 
parks. You would find it rather difficult to locate 
houses in Tokyo, for they are sometimes numbered 


Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 87. A view in Tokyo 

in the order in which they were built. We observe 
that the newsboys carry bells to announce their wares, 
and do not shout as do our newsboys. The postmen 
run as they deliver the mail. If you were to examine 
the address on one of these letters you would find that 







182 


ASIA 


the name of the country to which the letter is to go is 
written first. Then comes the province or state. This 
is followed by the city, the street, and the number, 
and last of all the name of the person appears. 

Curious signs to attract English-speaking people 
are seen in this and other Japanese cities. These are 
examples: “Stylished Suits made of very Moderate 
Price,” “Cowmeat and Pigmeat sold Here.” 

A railroad eighteen miles long connects the capital 
with Yokohama, its port. Here we may see men and 
women coaling ships by hand. A basketful of coal is 
passed from person to person until it reaches the ship’s 
bunkers. The workmen in Yokohama and other cities 
have the name of their employer or firm stamped upon 
their clothing. 

Wages everywhere in Japan are low. The average 
price paid to farm laborers is about $2.50 per month for 
men, and half as much for women. Carpenters, stone¬ 
cutters, masons, tailors, and many other classes of 
workers receive twenty-five or thirty cents per day. 
The policemen receive about $4 per month. 

In Japan, as in China, some of the coins are of very 
small value. One rin, for example, is worth about one 
twentieth of a cent in our money. One sen is worth 
one half a cent. If you were riding on a street car in 
Tokyo, you would pay one sen. 

Each year many people from the United States 


DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN 


183 


visit the Sunrise Land and enjoy its scenery and 
its inhabitants. Some Americans are making their 
homes in Japan ; having gone there to engage in business 
or in teaching. A large number of Japanese people 
have come to America because wages are so much higher 
here than they are in Japan. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


KOREA 

The Sea of Japan on the east, and the Yellow Sea on 
the west, wash the large peninsula that we call Korea. 
The inhabitants of the country call it Chosen, which 
means the “Land of the Morning Calm.” Korea is 
not as large as the state of Colorado, but it has a popu¬ 
lation many times as great as that of Colorado. 

The peninsula of Korea is very mountainous, but some 
level land is found near the sea, and along the. lower 
courses of the rivers. While the rivers are numerous, 
they are, for the most part, quite small. The most 
important is the river Han, at the mouth of which 
Chemulpo is situated. About sixty miles up the river 
is located Seoul. 

As Korea extends from the latitude of New York 
to that of North Carolina, its climate naturally varies 
greatly in the different parts. At Chemulpo it is quite 
warm, and snow does not remain upon the ground very 
long. The rainy season occurs during the autumn. 

In some parts of the country the forests are quite 
extensive, but in the more densely populated districts 
the timber has been cleared away. Because of this, 
fuel is scarce. Brush is very largely used as firewood. 

184 


KOREA 


185 



The mountains of Korea produce much mineral 
wealth. Gold, silver, copper, iron, and coal are mined. 

On the lowlands, where irrigation can be practiced, 
rice is grown abundantly, and, as in Siam, it is the chief 


Fig. 88. Plowing in Korea 

export of the country. Cotton, tobacco, beans, and 
ginseng are other crops. The Japanese aye operating 
a model farm and an agricultural school at Suwon. 

The Koreans are an interesting people. They have 
black hair which is coarse and straight, and is generally 
worn long. The poor people wear hats made of bam- 



186 


ASIA 


boo. Underneath the hat is a cap protecting the hair, 
which is worn in a coil on top of the head. The hats 
of the rich are usually made of horsehair. Boys wear 
their hair parted in the middle, and braided down the 
back. 

The trousers worn by the men are so baggy that they 
resemble pillowcases. A coat, usually green in color, 



Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 89. Korean costumes 


reaches to the knees. In the belt a knife and chop¬ 
sticks are stuck. Money and tobacco are carried in a 
bag. Smoked glasses are worn to protect the eyes, and a 
fan is carried for the same purpose. Sometimes the hat 
of the laborer is shaped like a huge bowl turned upside 
down, and is tied on by means of a black cord. The 
raincoats in Korea are usually made of rice straw as 
they are in Japan. 





KOREA 


187 


White is the emblem of mourning, and as people 
dress in mourning for three years after the death of a 
member of the family, white is very commonly worn. 
Cotton is generally worn by the poor, and silk by 
the rich. 



Fig. 90. Korean house 


The homes of the people are as interesting as is their 
dress. They are generally made of bamboo.' Some¬ 
times the roofs are thatched, and sometimes tiled. 

Korea is called the “Hermit Nation.” This is be¬ 
cause, until recently, the Koreans did not welcome 
strangers. They wished to be left to themselves. In 







188 


ASIA 



fact, visitors were not safe in the country until 1882. 
Although much traveling is done on foot, and by means 
of sedan chairs, there are now some railroads in Korea. 
In the districts far removed from railroads, burdens are 
carried by oxen, pack horses, and even by men. 

The capital of the country is Seoul. The city is 
walled, and has two ancient gates, one on the north, 


Photo by Hoag 

Fig. 91. Street scene in Seoul, Korea 

and one on the south, side. Above the gates rise pagoda¬ 
like buildings. In the city there is an immense bell, 
at the sound of which the gates are opened every morn¬ 
ing, and closed every evening. For five centuries this 
has taken place. 

The streets of Seoul are generally wide, but the 
buildings are as a rule one stoiy high. We see 








KOREA 


189 


many people being drawn through the streets in jin- 
rikishas, and everywhere there are bullocks with loads 
of wood upon their backs. It would seem very strange 
to you to see men carrying live hogs upon their backs, 
and policemen carrying swords. 

Women are frequently seen washing clothes in the 
gutters, and beating them by means of flat sticks. 
In front of a baker’s shop two men may often be seen 
pounding something with large wooden mallets. On 
examination we find that it is dough spread upon a 
large board. You would be much interested in visiting 
a school. Instead of using slates or paper the children 
make the characters that take the place of our letters 
in sand placed upon a tray. 


CHAPTER XIX 


SIBERIA 

The Russian Empire comprises about one sixth of the 
land surface of the globe. This vast territory is in one 
compact body stretching from the Baltic Sea on the 
west to the Pacific Ocean on the east. In this respect 
it differs from the British Empire, parts of which are 
located in all quarters of the earth. 

In a general way that part of Russia lying east 
of the Ural Mountains is known as Siberia. Look 
at your map and you will see that Siberia extends 
10° north of the Arctic Circle. Naturally the ex¬ 
treme northern part of the country is very cold. 
Even during the summer the ground is frozen except 
a thin surface layer that is warmed by the heat of the 
sun. The summers are too short to make farming 
possible, and there are no forests. This dreary region, 
which is known as the tundra, is inhabited by Eskimos. 
Its southern limit is practically the seventieth parallel 
of north latitude. 

South of the tundra is a vast forest belt hundreds of 
miles wide, and extending practically across Siberia 
from east to west. Pine, birch, and oak are some of the 
190 


SIBERIA 


191 


most valuable trees. In addition to lumber, the forest 
furnishes many furs, because countless fur-bearing 
animals make their homes in the forest. 

Between the fiftieth and sixtieth parallels of north 
latitude there is a rich agricultural country. There 
are great stretches of prairie land similar to that found 
in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Excellent crops of 
wheat, rye, oats, barley, and potatoes are grown, and 



Fig. 92. A Siberian village 


there is much good pasture land. Rivers are numerous, 
and coal, iron, copper, silver, and other forms of mineral 
wealth abound. 

Even this fertile section of Siberia has a sparse pop¬ 
ulation, just as the part of our country west of the 
Mississippi River had before the days of railroads. The 
Russian government is, of course, very anxious to de¬ 
velop this rich country. In 1891 it began to build the 
Trans-Siberian Railroad, which was finished ten years 
later. One can now travel by rail from St. Petersburg, 









192 


ASIA 


the capital of Russia, to Vladivostok on the shore of the 
Pacific Ocean, a distance of more than 6500 miles. 

Settlers from European Russia are carried into 
Siberia upon the railway at a very low rate. If needy, 
they are loaned money. To each family settling in 
Siberia, about forty acres of land are given, and no 
taxes need be paid for three years. In 1908 more than 
700,000 people settled in Siberia. 

The map shows you that Siberia has some very large 
rivers. You see, also, that three of these empty into 


the Arctic Ocean. As the 
mouths and lower courses 
of these rivers are blocked 
by ice for several months 
each year, their commercial 
value is not great. This is 
especially true of the Lena. 
The Amur, however, is an 
important line of trans¬ 
portation. 



Let us get aboard a train 
at Vladivostok. This word 


Fig. 93. A Yokout woman from 
the cold tundra region of Siberia 


means “ Mistress of the East.” The city was estab¬ 
lished in 1861 on a fine harbor that is open most of the 
year. During the most severe winter weather, iron¬ 
clad steamboats known as ice breakers force their way 
through the ice and thus enable vessels carrying freight 


SIBERIA 


193 



and passengers to get in and out. The population of 
Vladivostok is now about 75,000. It has modern 
business blocks, and is lighted by electricity. 

The cars in which we ride are of the compartment 
type. We shall probably see some people from our 
own country, for many Americans travel over the Si- 


Copyrighted by Brown Bros. 

Fig. 94. Siberians 

berian Railroad every year. As this is a new country 
there are no very large cities on the line. In some 
cases the cities are several miles from the railroad, for 
it was built in a rather straight line in order to lessen 
the distance as much as possible. 

Irkutsk, a city of about 50,000 people, is near the 
south end of Lake Baikal, on the Angara River, which 




194 


ASIA 



flows from the lake. This lake is of interest to us 
because it is believed to be the deepest lake in the 
world. In its deepest part it would take a line nearly 
one mile long to reach from the surface of the lake to 
the bottom. 

Farther west is a region where much dairying is carried 
on. The people of London receive some of their butter 


and eggs from the country around Tomsk. Con¬ 
siderable of the trade in Siberia is carried on by means 
of fairs. To these fairs the people bring whatever they 
have to sell or exchange. 

Some distance east of the Ural Mountains the rail¬ 
road crosses the boundary between Siberia and Euro¬ 
pean Russia. The Ural Mountains are low and rounded, 


uopymgruea oy urown tsros. 

A Siberian wagon 


Fig. 95. 




SIBERIA 


195 


and therefore it was not difficult to construct the rail¬ 
road across them. The farmers cut grass almost to 
the tops of the mountains. 

About twelve days after leaving Vladivostok, our 
train reaches St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian 
Empire. This is the center from which the Russians 
in distant Siberia are governed. This city was founded 
by Peter the Great in 1703, and nine years later he 
made it the capital of the empire. Since that time the 
boundaries of Russia have been extended in practi¬ 
cally all directions, but chiefly eastward, and, as you 
now know, the Land of the Czars stretches from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific. 

St. Petersburg, although built upon marshy ground, 
is an important and a beautiful city. It has many 
magnificent buildings, one of which is St. Isaac’s Church. 
The columns of this building are of lapis lazuli, a blue 
stone obtained near Lake Baikal. 

Edna Dean Proctor says of the Russian capital: — 

“ See! From the Finland marshes there 
’Tis proud St. Isaac's rears in air, 

Pillar on pillar, that shining dome ! 

And, just beyond its glorious swell, 

’Tis the slender spire of the Citadel 
Where great Czar Peter slumbers well 
All by the Neva’s flood and foam, — 

That lifts its cross till the golden bars 
Gleam and burn with the midnight stars! ” 









. 

I A 














































































































































































































INDEX 


Aden, 52. 
v Afghanistan, 63. 

Agra, 85. 

Agriculture, in Japan, 158. 
in Korea, 185. 
in Siberia, 191. 
Allahabad, 85. 

Arabia, 46. 

Bangkok, 104. 

Benares, 83. 

Bethlehem, 

Bombay, 89. 

Bosphorus, 11. 

Calcutta, 82. 

Canals in China, 123. 
Canton, 136. 

Ceylon, 91. 

China, 111. 

Climate of Japan, 157. 
Constantinople, 14. 

Damascus, 19. 

Dead Sea, 26. 

Dress, in China, 150. 
in Japan, 177. 
in Korea, 185. 

Festivals, 177. 

Fishing in Japan, 161. 
Flowers in Japan, 169. 
Food in China, 147. 

Forests in Siberia, 190. 
French Indo China, 107. 
Fujiyama, 157. 

Ganges River, 77. 

Great Wall of China, 112. 


Himalaya Mountains, 67. 
Hoangho River, 114. 

Holy Land, 24. 

Home life in China, 147. 
Houses in Japan, 171. 

India, 67. 

Japan, 155. 
area of, 156. 
latitude of, 157. 
Jerusalem, 39. 

Korea, 184. 

Mecca, 50. 

Money in China, 150. 

Mt. Everest, 67. 

Pearls in Ceylon, 94. 
Peking, 142. 

Persia, 56. 

Rainfall map, 7. 

Rice, in India, 71. 
in Japan, 161. 
in Siam, 101. 

Rivers of Siberia, 192. 

Schools in China, 151. 
Shanghai, 140. 

Siam, 100. 

Siberia, 190. 

Smyrna, 19. 

St. Petersburg, 195. 

Suez Canal, 46. 

Tabriz, 58. 

Taj Mahal, 85. 

197 



198 


INDEX 


Tea, in China, 130. 

in United States, 134. 

Tea houses in Japan 175. 
Teheran, 57. 

Tibet, 113. 

Transportation, in China, 121. 
in Korea, 188. 


Trans-Siberian Railroad, 191. 
Tundra, 190. 

Turkey, 11. 

Vladivostok, 192. 

Wages in Japan, 182. 



I “'HE following pages contain advertisements of 
A books by the same author or on kindred subjects. 




The Continents and Their People 


By JAMES FRANKLIN CHAMBERLAIN and ARTHUR 
HENRY CHAMBERLAIN 


SUPPLEMENTARY READING IN GEOGRAPHY 



HIS is a new series of geographical readers intended 


JL to supplement and enrich the work of the regular 
text in use in elementary schools. Emphasis is laid on 
human and social conditions in their physical and economic 
relations. 

Trade and travel stories on well-known routes have been 
used advantageously to cover typical industries, and visits 
to places of political, commercial, and historical importance, 
or natural and scenic beauty, and to study the home life 
and social customs among strange and interesting people. 
Clear descriptions made more vivid by color maps and 
photographic illustrations have been used to increase the 
effectiveness of the presentation. 

These stories are told in simple language and in a style 
that appeals strongly to children. 


Chamberlain's Continents and Their People, Europe 
Chamberlain's Continents and Their People, North America 
Chamberlain's Continents and Their People, Asia 
South America, Africa, and Australia in preparation 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 2837 


BOSTON 


CHICAGO 


NEW YORK 


SAN FRANCISCO 


DALLAS 






l'ARR AND McMURRY 


New Geographies 


First Book, Complete . . 

. . . $0.65 

First Book, Part One . 

. 40 

First Book, Part Two . 

. . .50 

Second Book, Complete . 

. . . Si.10 

Second Book, Part One 

... .65 

Second Book, Part Two 

... .65 


They make Home Geography the basis of study for World 
Geography. 

They use type-forms developed from Home Geography as 
a basis for interpretation, appreciation, understanding, and 
definition. 

They make descriptive matter vivid by appropriate illustra¬ 
tion ; the facts plain by diagram, graph, or product-map; the 
visualization complete by appropriate physical or colored map, 
studied in connection with the text. 

They emphasize the essentials by synoptical outline. The 
leading facts stand out. 

They retain interest and make sure the application by timely 
suggestions, reviews, and comparisons. 

They treat each topic in its relation to man, introduce the 
problem-question, and bring out cause and effect relation. 

They appeal to the child’s interest in human life and activity, 
his wonder and curiosity, his sympathy and self-activity. 

They suggest methods of study. 

The books are mechanically perfect. The maps are bound in. 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


BOSTON 


CHICAGO 


NEW YORK 


SAN FRANCISCO 


DALLAS 








The Golden Rule Series 

By E. HERSHEY SNEATH, GEORGE HODGES and 
EDWARD LAWRENCE STEVENS 


READING WITH A MORAL PURPOSE 


This is a new series of Literary Readers containing selections 
carefully chosen for the vivid portrayal of ideal beauty in human 
life and character. They emphasize right action in human con¬ 
duct and suggest the correct moral response to situations within 
the experience of the child. While avoiding religious instruction, 
moral precepts and lectures, they teach the simple attainable 
virtues of school and home life, grade by grade, in an indirect 
manner, leaving the child to do his own moralizing. This is the 
first and only series of readers to concentrate attention on the 
problems of morality and their solution in an indirect manner. 

These books are all neatly and strongly bound, printed in 
large, clear type, on good paper, with appropriate illustration. 

I. The Golden Ladder Book, Third Grade 

II. The Golden Path Book, Fourth Grade 

III. The Golden Door Book, Fifth Grade 

IV. The Golden Key Book, Sixth Grade 

IN PREPARATION 

V. The Golden Word Book, Seventh Grade 

VI. The Golden Deed Book, Eighth Grade 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


BOSTON 


CHICAGO 


NEW YORK 


SAN FRANCISCO 


DALLAS 





The Dawn of American History 
in Europe 


By WILLIAM L. NIDA 

Superintendent of Schools, Forest River, Illinois 

This is a simple account or story of Old World conditions, 
and of the important series of events that led to the discovery 
and colonization of America. It follows the suggestions and 
meets the requirements laid down by the Committee of Eight in 
its report to the American Historical Association for sixth grade 
history. 

It appeals to the natural tastes and interests of children, both 
in matter and in treatment; the racial problems and difficulties 
encountered and overcome, and the bitter lessons learned in the 
hard struggle and upward progress to civilization, find a sym 7 
pathetic response in the nature of the child. The important 
social activities at the dawn and during the movement that led 
to the discovery and colonization of America, together with the 
great historical scenes and characters in these events accurately 
and dramatically portrayed, appeal to the social interests of the 
child. These lessons are valuable, not only for what they teach 
but also for the moral suggestions that they ^ive. 

The book is conveniently divided for study into chapters, 
each of which is synoptically outlined, the paragraph topics 
indicated and covered by a definite formal stimulating review. 
The book sells at eighty cents. 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


BOSTON 


CHICAGO 


NEW YORK 


SAN FRANCISCO 


DALLAS 




































































































• 















































































































































































« 




















































































































t 


V ' l h 


































- 


























































































\ 





































































































FEB 27 


1913 

v 



















































* 












v 



























* 






. 




* 


























































































■ 














s 


yi / 


V 
































' \ . 1 - 

*» , v , <‘i 4 / 




. J' 




















* 










I ' ’ 




























"V 1 










L -l 


,1 




I '* fiW#.;- 










/ 















